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THE  WRITER'S  DESK  BOOK 


OTHER    BOOKS    BY   MR.    ORCUTT 


Good  Old  Dorchester.    A  Narrative 
History 

Princess  Kallisto,  and  other  Tales  of 
the  Fairies 

Robert  Cavelier.    A  Novel 

The   Flower  of  Destiny.    A  Novel 

The  Spell.    A  Novel 

The  Lever.    A  Novel 

The  Moth.     A  Novel 


The  Writer's 
Desk  Book 


Being  a  reference  volume  upon 
questions  of  Punctuation  •  Capi 
talization  •  spelling  •  division 
of  Words  •  Indention  •  Spacing 
Italics  •  Abbreviations 
Accents  •  Numerals  •  Faulty 
Diction  •  Letter  Writing 
Postal  Regulations  •  Etc-Etc 


By  WILLIAM  DANA  ORCUTT 

for  many  years  Head  of  The  University 
Press  •  Cambridge  ;  Ntob  associated  zcith 
The  Plimpton  Press  "-Norwood  Mass 


•  >    „    »     •  » « • ,  •    ■'.,-. 


New  York- FREDERICK- A  STOKES 
COMPANY  •  Publishers  ■  MCMXIII 


Copyright ,  1912,  by 
Frederick  A.  Stokes  Co. 

SECOND   EDITION 


September.  1912 


THE*  PLIMPTON'  PRESS 

[  W • D •  O] 
NORWOOD  •  MASS  •  U  •  S  •  A 


"P/Vi+ 


i 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 
I 


Punctuation 

Importance  of  correct  punctuation  —  punctu- 
ation marks  and  accents  —  the  comma  —  the 
semicolon  —  the  colon  —  the  period  —  the  dash 

—  the  exclamation  —  the  interrogation  —  quo- 
tation-marks —  parentheses  —  brackets  —  the 
apostrophe  —  the  hyphen 

Capitalization 20 

Of  religious  terms  —  of  proper  names  —  of  titles 

—  of  institutional  terms  —  of  references  —  of 
ordinals  —  in  general  —  use  of  small  capitals 

Spelling 31 

Importance  of  adopting  an  authority  —  basic 
rules  for  numbers  and  diphthongs  —  simple 
rules  of  orthography  —  accented  words  —  par- 
ticiples—  variable .  endings  —  list  of  variable 
spellings 

Compound  Words 45 

General  theory  —  changes  in  modern  uses  — 
rules  and  examples 

Division  of  Words 52 

Rules  and  examples 

Indention  and  Paragraphing      ....       55 

Various  forms  used  in  display  —  en  echelon  — 
irregular  —  hanging  —  reverse  —  lozenge  — 
blocked  —  definition  of  the  paragraph  —  its 
value  —  kinds  of  paragraphs  —  length  of  para- 
graph 

Spacing 59 

General  principles  —  kerned  letters  —  examples 
of  varying  spaces 

v 


197652 


VI  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Italic 62 

Its  origin  —  its  uses  —  when  required  and  when 
not 

Abbreviations 6s 

Of  dates  —  of  proper  names  —  of  titles  —  com- 
mercial —  of  given  names  —  geographical  — 
miscellaneous  —  scriptural  —  monetary  signs 
—  mathematical  signs  —  medical  signs 

Numerals 93 

History  of  their  evolution  —  lists 

Correct  and  Faulty  Diction     ....        99 

Dr.  Campbell's  canons  —  good  usage  —  list  of 
words  and  phrases  commonly  misused 

Letter  Writing 114 

Its  importance  —  business,  informal,  formal  — 
the  heading  —  the  address  —  the  salutation  — 
the  text  —  the  complimentary  close  —  the 
signature  —  the  envelope  —  postal  cards  —  in 
general  —  examples 

Postal  Information 129 

Classes  of  mail — parcel  post  —  wrapping  of 
mail  matter  —  forwarding  mail  matter  — 
what  cannot  be  mailed  —  concealed  mat- 
ter—  domestic  rates  —  foreign  rates  —  excep- 
tions —  foreign  parcels  post  —  money  order 
fees  —  registered  mail  —  special  delivery  sys- 
tem —  postal  distances  and  time  from  New 
York  City 

Appendix 142 

Standard  time  —  values  of  foreign  coins  —  com- 
parative thermometers  —  weights  and  meas- 
ures —  British  weights  and  measures 

Index 163 


THE  WRITER'S  DESK  BOOK 


PUNCTUATION   MARKS,    ACCENTS,  ETC. 


? 
1 

0 
[] 


KJ 


Comma 

Semicolon 

Colon 

Period 

Interrogation 

Exclamation 

Parentheses 

Brackets 

Apostrophe 

Hyphen 

Acute  accent 

Grave  accent 

Circumflex  accent 

Circumflex  or  tilde 

Long  or  macron 

Short  or  breve 


Q 

A 


{} 


*** 


If 


*  *  * 


Dieresis 

Cedilla 

Caret 

Quotation-marks 

Brace 

Ellipsis 

Ellipsis,  leaders 

Asterisk 

Dagger 

Double  dagger 

Section 

Parallels 

Paragraph 

Index 

Asterisks 


The  Section-mark  is  derived  from  the  first  letters  of  the 
words  signum  sectionis,  meaning  sign  of  the  section,  the 
old-fashioned  J  being  used.  The  paragraph  mark  1f  is 
the  roman  letter  P  reversed,  with  black  and  white 
interchanged. 


>     > 
1 .  » 


PUNCTUATION 


i 


N  early  manuscripts  the  words  followed 
one  another  without  punctuation  points, 
thus  making  it  difficult  for  readers  to  separate 
the  ideas  into  the  same  parts  as  originally 
intended  by  the  authors.  Later  they  were 
separated  by  dots  or  other  marks,  which 
method  obtained  in  the  earliest  printed  vol- 
umes. Aldus  Manutius  (Venice,  1490-15 15) 
and  his  family  were  the  pioneers  in  estab- 
lishing a  basis  for  systematic  punctuation. 
From  this  chaotic  condition  definite  rules 
have  gradually  been  evolved  for  general  guid- 
ance, but  judgment  and  taste  must  always 
be  the  final  guides  to  correct  punctuation. 
Assistance  may  be  obtained  by  observing  a 
few  simple  rules  which  are  based  upon  the 
idea  that  the  purpose  of  every  punctuation 
mark  is  to  indicate  to  the  eye  the  construc- 
tion of  the  sentence  in  which  it  occurs. 

No  one  of  the  various  punctuation  marks 
should  ever  be  used  exclusively  or  to  excess, 
for  each  one  has  some  specific  duty  which  it 
can  perform  better  than  any  other.  It  is 
always  wise  to  question  why,  in  a  given  case, 
a  punctuation  mark  should  be  put  in  rather 
than  why  it  should  be  left  out,  for  of  the  two 
evils  an  over-punctuated  book  is  the  more 
objectionable.      "  Close    punctuation, "    char- 


4      THE    WRITER'S   DESK    BOOK 

acterized  by  the  use  of  many  commas,  pre- 
vailed in  the  English  of  the  eighteenth 
century  and  is  today  the  best  French  usage, 
but  "open  punctuation, "  which  avoids  the 
use  of  any  point  not  clearly  required  by  the 
construction,  is  now  favored  by  the  best  Eng- 
lish writers. 

THE  COMMA 

Dean  Alford  once  wrote,  in  disgust,  "  The 
great  enemies  to  understanding  anything  in 
our  language  are  the  commas,"  and  prided 
himself  that  in  the  course  of  editing  the  Greek 
text  of  the  New  Testament,  he  destroyed 
more  than  a  thousand  of  these  "  enemies. " 
The  chief  use  of  this,  the  smallest  degree  of 
separation,  is  to  define  the  particles  and  minor 
clauses  of  a  sentence.  It  should  always  be 
placed  inside  the  quotation-marks  when  used 
in  connection  with  them. 

The  comma  is  required : 

i.  Before  a  conjunction  when  the  pre- 
ceding word  is  qualified  by  an  expression 
which  is  not  intended  to  qualify  the  word 
following  the  conjunction:  e.g.,  He  suddenly 
started,  and  fell. 

2.  Between  adjectives  and  adverbs  when 
not  connected  by  a  conjunction:  He  possessed 
a  calm,  exasperating  manner;  but  the  comma 
may  be  omitted  between  two  adjectives  when 
the  idea  is  close:   e.g.,  A  clear  cold  day. 


PUNCTUATION 


3.  After  adjectives  JEpd  adverbs  where 
three  or  more  are  used  in  succession:  e.g., 
The  man  possessed  a  calm,  cynical,  exasperating 
manner. 

4.  In  a  succession  of  three  or  more  words 
where  the  conjunctive  and  is  used  before  the 
last  one:   e.g.,  He  was  tall,  thin,  and  pale. 

5.  When  the  word  after  the  conjunction 
is  followed  by  an  expression  which  qualifies 
that  word  alone:    e.g., 

'Twas  certain  he  could  write,  and  cipher  too. 

6.  After  inverted  phrases  and  clauses:  e.g., 
Discouraged  by  constant  opposition,  he  resigned 
his  position.  Short  phrases  of  similar  nature 
do  not  require  the  comma:  e.g.,  Of  his  inten- 
tions there  could  be  no  doubt. 

7.  To  separate  the  adverbs  however,  now, 
then,  too,  perhaps,  and  indeed  from  the  con- 
text when  they  are  used  as  conjunctions: 
e.g.,  This  idea,  however,  had  not  occurred  to 
him.  When  these  words  are  used  as  adverbs, 
the  comma  is  not  required:  e.g.,  It  must  be 
done,  however  contrary  it  may  be  to  our  present 
advantage. 

8.  To     separate     parenthetical    or    inter- 
mediate expressions  from  the  context:    e.g., 
His  intentions,  though  at  first  concealed,   be- 
came obvious. 

9.  After  the  last  word  of  a  series  com- 
posed of  several  words  not  connected  by 
conjunctions:  e.g.,  The  men,  the  women,  the 
children  even,  were  up  in  arms. 


6      T  H  E    W  R  I  IK  '  S    DESK    BOOK 


10.  Between  wMw  or  phrases  in  appo- 
sition with  each  offer:  e.g.,  I  refer  to  Mr. 
Taylor,  the  father  of  Scientific  Management. 
But  when  used  as  a  single  phrase  or  a  com- 
pound name,  no  comma  is  required:  e.g., 
The  poet  Tennyson  was  born  in  i8oq. 

n.  Between  the  name  of  a  person  and  his 
title  or  degree:  e.g.,  Charles  W.  Eliot,  Presi- 
dent Emeritus ;   Woodrow  Wilson,  LL.D. 

12.  Between  two  independent  clauses  con- 
nected by  a  conjunction:  e.g.,  The  door  was 
barricaded,  but  we  managed  to  open  it. 

13.  Between  relative  clauses  which  are 
explanatory  of  an  antecedent,  or  which  pre- 
sent an  additional  thought:  e.g.,  Her  voice, 
which  was  charming  in  her  own  drawing-room, 
was  not  powerful  enough  for  a  public  audi- 
torium. But  relative  clauses  which  limit 
the  meaning  of  the  antecedent  (called  restric- 
tive) do  not  require  the  comma:  e.g.,  He  did 
that  which  he  was  obliged  to  do. 

14.  Between  two  clauses,  one  of  which 
depends  on  the  other,  and  usually  introduced 
by  if,  when,  unless,  though,  where,  wherever, 
etc.:  e.g.,  7/  we  stand  together,  success  is 
assured.  If  the  clauses  are  closely  connected 
both  in  sense  and  construction,  the  comma 
is  not  required:  e.g.,  William  was  ten  years 
old  when  his  father  moved  to  Boston. 

15.  In  compound  sentences,  to  separate 
the  co-ordinate  clause  when  closely  related 
and   simple   in    construction:     e.g.,    He   was 


PUN  CTUAJION 


UAjT 

w 

Wid 


courteous,  not  cringinm  J  superiors;,  affable, 
not  familiar,  to  equals;^md  kind,  but  not  con- 
descending, to  inferiors. 

1 6.  To  indicate  an  ellipsis:  e.g.,  Price, 
seventy-five  cents. 

17.  To  separate  vocative  words  or  expres- 
sions from  the  context:  e.g.,  I  leave  it,  gentle- 
men, to  your  sense  of  right  and  wrong. 

18.  Before  not,  when  introducing  an  anti- 
thetical clause:  e.g.,  He  devoted  his  attention 
to  the  matter  before  him,  not  because  he  was  in- 
terested, but  because  he  could  not  avoid  the  issue. 

19.  To  separate  similar  or  identical  words, 
even  though  not  required  by  the  sense  or 
grammatical  construction:  e.g.,  /  tell  you, 
you  are  wrong. 

20.  To  separate  two  numbers:  e.g.,  March 
1,  1912  ;  In  191 1,  869  cases  were  reported. 

21.  To  separate  a  quotation  or  similar 
brief  expression  from  the  preceding  part  of 
the  sentence:  e.g.,  To  quote  the  proverb,  "Look 
before  you  leap." 

22.  Before  the  word  of,  connecting  a  proper 
name  with  residence  or  position:  e.g.,  Senator 
Lodge,  of  Massachusetts. 

23.  After  the  salutatory  phrase  at  the 
beginning  of  a  letter,  when  informal:  e.g., 
My  dear  Mother,  but,  when  formal,  Gentlemen: 

The  comma  is  not  required: 

1.  Before  or  after  conjunctions  such  as 
and,  or,  nor,  but,  and  yet  when  employed  to 


8      THE    WRITER'S   DESK    BOOK 


connect  two  wordWbelonging  to  the  same 
part  of  speech  and  in  the  same  construction: 
e.g.,  Sink  or  swim,  live  or  die,  survive  or  perish, 
I  give  my  hand  and  my  heart  to  this  vote. 
When  words  are  not  in  pairs,  the  comma 
must  be  used:  e.g.,  Sink,  die,  or  perish,  I 
give  my  hand  and  my  heart  to  this  vote. 

2.  Before  or  after  conjunctions  when  they 
are  employed  to  connect  two  expressions  in 
the  same  construction  used  as  if  belonging 
to  the  same  part  of  speech:  e.g.,  The  new 
system  of  management  guarantees  accuracy  in 
getting  orders  under  way  and  promptness  in 
completing  them. 

3.  Before  the  conjunction  too  when  placed 
at  the  end  of  a  sentence:  e.g.,  /  hope  that  you 
will  come  too. 

4.  Where  there  are  two  or  more  words  or 
phrases  having  a  conjunction  between  each 
two:  e.g.,  Lest  he  should  be  tempted  and  yield 
and  thus  be  false. 

5.  After  an  adjective  that  describes  or 
limits  another  adjective  together  with  the 
noun  following:  e.g.,  He  had  on  a  pair  of  torn 
gray  corduroy  breeches. 

6.  When  a  pronoun  is  used  with  a  noun 
for  emphasis:  e.g.,  Lafcadio  Hearn  himself 
could  not  have  described  the  scene  more  vividly. 

THE  SEMICOLON 

The  semicolon  is  used  to  indicate  a  pause 
or  a  degree  of  separation  next  greater  than 


PUNCTUATION  9 

the  comma.  Caxton  was  the  first  to  intro- 
duce into  English  printing  the  Roman  points 
of  punctuation  as  used  in  Italy.  The  comma 
replaced  the  unwieldly  |,  and  the  colon  was 
an  added  refinement,  but  for  some  unexplained 
reason  he  steadfastly  opposed  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  semicolon.  This  mark  should 
always  be  placed  outside  the  quotation-marks 
unless  forming  a  part  of  the  quotation  itself. 

Use  the  semicolon: 

1.  When  the  members  of  a  compound 
sentence  are  complex  in  construction  or  con- 
tain commas:  e.g.,  He  was  courteous,  not 
cringing,  to  superiors  ;  affable,  but  not  familiar, 
to  equals ;  and  kind,  but  not  condescending,  to 
inferiors. 

2.  To  connect  successive  sentences:  e.g., 
His  face  never  showed  an  emotion  other  than  that 
which  he  wished  to  have  seen  there  ;  the  mouth  was 
protected  by  his  heavy  mustache;  his  eyes  pene- 
trated the  object  on  which  they  fixed  themselves. 
Shorter  sentences  should  be  divided  by  commas. 

3.  Between  expressions  in  a  series  which 
have  a  common  dependence  upon  words  at 
the  beginning  or  end  of  a  sentence:  e.g.,  The 
half-sick  man  is  a  nuisance  to  his  entire  house- 
hold: he  is  not  ill  enough  to  accept  restraint; 
he  is  too  ill  to  be  reasonable. 

4.  To  separate  passages  containing  chap- 
ters in  scriptural  references:  e.g.,  Matte 
1 :  4-8,  12,  16  ;  chap.  3;  8: 16. 


10     THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

THE   COLON 

The  colon  is  used  between  clauses  of  com- 
pound sentences,  additional  clauses  without 
a  conjunction,  formal  quotations,  and  par- 
ticulars in  apposition  with  a  general  term, 
to  mark  the  necessity  of  a  pause  greater  than 
that  indicated  by  the  semicolon  and  less 
than  that  indicated  by  the  period.  The  colon 
is  much  less  used  today  than  formerly,  as 
modern  writers  employ  shorter  and  less 
formal  sentences  than  those  of  a  century  ago. 
It  should  always  be  placed  outside  the  quota- 
tion-marks unless  included  as  a  part  of  the 
quotation  itself.  v 

Use  the  colon: 

i.  Before  as,  viz.,  that  is,  namely,  etc., 
when  these  words  introduce  a  series  of  simple 
particular  terms  in  apposition  with  a  general 
term:  e.g.,  There  are  three  genders  in  Latin: 
namely,  masculine,  feminine,  and  neuter. 

2.  Between  two  members  of  a  sentence 
when  one  or  both  are  made  up  of  two  or 
more  clauses  divided  by  semicolons:  e.g., 
Vallie  was  nervous  in  his  temperment;  the  Captain 
was  calm  and  self-contained:  Vallie  was  the  prod- 
uct of  the  city;  the  Captain  was  the  product  of 
the  world. 

3.  Between  a  complete  sentence  and  an 
additional  clause  enlarging  upon  the  same 
idea  without  a  conjunction:  e.g.,  Imagination 


PUNCTUATION  II 

is  essential  to  business  success:  without  imagi- 
nation, plans  for  future  development  cannot 
intelligently  be  made. 

4.  Before  particulars  definitely  stated: 
e.g.,  These  new  duties  of  the  management  are 
grouped  under  four  heads:  first,  they  develop 
a  science  for  each  element  of  a  man's  work,  etc. 

5.  Before  formal  quotations:  e.g.,  In  a 
recent  speech  attributed  to  you  by  the  daily 
press,  you  are  reported  to  have  used  these  words: 
11  Good  principles  follow  good  habits  " 

6.  After  the  formal  salutatory  phrase  at 
the  beginning  of  a  letter:  e.g.,  Gentlemen:1 
When  less  formality  is  desired,  the  comma 
may  be  used:   e.g.,  My  dear  Mother, 

7.  Between  the  hours  and  minutes  in 
indicating  time:  e.g.,  11  :jo  a.m. 

8.  Between  the  chapter  and  verse  in 
scriptural  references:  e.g.,  Matt.  1:4-8,  12,16; 
chap.  3;  8:16. 

9.  Between  the  city  of  publication  and 
the  name  of  publisher  in  literary  references: 
e.g.,  "The  Adventures  of  Tom  Sawyer11  {New 
York :  Harpers) . 

THE  PERIOD 

Always  place  the  period  inside  the  quota- 
tion-marks and  inside  the  parentheses  when 
parenthetical  matter  forms  an  independent 
sentence  and  is  not  a  part  of  the  preceding 
sentence. 


Seepage  117,  §§  2,  3,  4. 


12     THE    WRITER'S   DESK    BOOK 

Use  the  period : 

i.    After  every  abbreviation. 

2.  To  set  off  decimal  numbers  from  whole 
numbers. 

3.  After  every  complete  sentence  unless 
the  sentence  is  interrogative  or  exclamatory. 

4.  To  indicate  an  ellipsis,  repeating  the 
mark  three  or  more  times  separated  by 
spaces:   e.g.,  .  .  . 

Do  not  use  the  period : 

1.  After  running-heads. 

2.  After  cut-in  side-notes. 

3.  After  centered  head-lines. 

4.  After  box-heads  in  tables. 

5.  After  legends  beneath  illustrations. 

6.  After  subheads  set  in  separate  lines. 

7.  After  date-lines  at  the  top  of  letters. 

8.  After  signatures  at  the  end  of  letters. 

9.  At  end  of  lines  in  display  composition, 
such  as  titles,1  blocked  headings,  etc. 

10.  After  roman  numerals,  even  though 
they  possess  the  value  of  ordinals:  e.g., 
Vol.  VIII ;  George  V  is  king  of  England. 

THE  DASH 

The  dash  is  more  misused  and  overused 
than  any  of  the  other  punctuation  marks. 
The  following  rules  define  its  proper  use: 


1  First   adopted    by  William    Pickering,    the   London 
publisher,  about  1850. 


PUNCTUATION  13 

Use  the  dash: 

1.  Whenever  the  construction  or  the  sense 
is  suddenly  changed  or  suspended:  e.g.,  You 
cannot  believe  —  but  I  will  not  humiliate  my- 
self by  asking  the  question. 

2.  To  connect  extreme  dates  in  specifying 
periods  of  time:   e.g.,  iqi2-iqi8. 

3.  When  the  sentence  is  abruptly  ter- 
minated: e.g.,  "//  he  is  alive,  I  can  make  him 
one  from  this  time;  and  if  —  if  —  " 

4.  To  secure  rhetorical  emphasis:  e.g., 
We  are  ready  —  we  are  more  than  ready  to  meet 
the  issue. 

5.  To  define  verse  references  in  the  Bible: 
e.g.,  Matt.  1:4-8;  or  to  indicate  page  refer- 
ences in  a  book:  e.g.,  See  pp.  21-42. 

6.  Between  short,  snappy  sentences  to 
increase  the  speed  of  the  discourse:  e.g., 
Hullo!  ho!  the  whole  world1  s  asleep!  —  bring 
out  the  horses, — grease  the  wheels, — tie  on 
the  mail! 

7.  Between  the  subject-matter  and  its 
authority. 

8.  To  indicate  the  omission  of  letters: 
e.g.,  Mrs.  B . 

9.  At  the  end  of  a  series  of  phrases  which 
depend  upon  a  concluding  clause:  e.g., 
Courtesy  and  attention,  patience  and  judg- 
ment, accuracy  and  carefulness  —  these  are 
but  a  few  of  the  elements  which  constitute 
successful  business  relations. 


14     THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

10.  To  precede  expressions  which  are 
added  to  an  apparently  completed  sentence, 
but  which  refer  to  some  previous  part  of  the 
sentence:  e.g.,  The  question  of  hearing  was 
seriously  troubling  the  minister  —  they  prob- 
ably had  heard  too  much. 

IfDashes  may  be  substituted  for  commas 
or  marks  of  parenthesis  before  and  after 
expressions  having  closer  connection  with  the 
main  sentence  than  could  be  indicated  by 
marks  of  parenthesis:  e.g.,  They  might  have 
been  talking  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  or  more, 
when  Monks  —  by  which  name  the  Jew  had 
designated  the  strange  man  —  said,  etc. 

TfUse  the  dash  preceded  by  the  colon  before 
a  long  quotation  forming  a  new  paragraph. 
The  dash  is  not  otherwise  used  with  other 
punctuation  marks  unless  demanded  by  clear- 
ness. 

1fln  France,  printers  use  the  dash  as  a 
frequent  substitute  for  quotation-marks  in 
dialogue,  placing  quotation-marks  only  at  the 
beginning  and  the  end,  even  though  extended 
over  several  pages. 

THE  EXCLAMATION 

The  proper  use  of  the  exclamation-point 
lends  force  and  vigor  to  language  in  express- 
ing surprise  or  emotion,  but  when  overused  it 
cheapens  intended  pathos  and  thus  defeats  the 
writer's  purpose.     It  should  always  be  placed 


PUNCTUATION  15 

outside  the  quotation-marks  unless  it  is  a  part 
of  the  quotation  itself.  The  mark  is  formed 
from  the  word  Io,  signifying  joy,  written  verti- 
cally I. 

The  exclamation-point  is  required : 

1.  At  the  end  of  a  word  or  sentence  to 
express  strong  emotion:  e.g.,  God  forbid! 
11  Mind  that,  Fagin!" 

2.  To  indicate  sarcasm  or  doubt  on  the  part 
of  the  writer  regarding  the  authenticity  of  a 
statement:  e.g.,  "  For  Brutus  is  an  honorable 
man!" 

3.  After  exclamatory  words.  If  the  same 
interjection  is  repeated  use  the  comma  to 
separate  the  words,  placing  the  exclamation- 
point  only  at  the  end,  unless  the  intention 
is  to  make  each  of  the  repeated  words  em- 
phatic: e.g.,  "Oh!  dear,  dear,  dear!"  he  ex- 
claimed; "what  an  unfortunate  memory  you  have! " 

^fUse  great  care  in  distinguishing  between 
Oh!,  an  interjection  expressing  pain  or  sur- 
prise, and  the  vocative  0,  expressing  a  wish 
or  an  imprecation,  which  does  not  call  for  the 
exclamation-point:  e.g.,  "Oh!  what  damned 
minutes  tells  he  o'er!"  and  "0  that  I  had 
wings  like  a  dove!" 

THE  INTERROGATION 

The  interrogation-point  is  formed  from  the 
first  and  last  letters  of  the  Latin  word  quaestio 
[a  question)   placed   one   over  the   other;    as 


l6     THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

Q.  It  should  always  be  placed  outside  the 
quotation-marks  unless  it  is  a  part  of  the 
quotation  itself. 

i.    Every    sentence     containing    a    direct 
*  question  should  close  with  an  interrogation- 
point:    e.g.,  When  can  this  order  be  shipped? 
We  have  received  a  letter  which  asks,  uWhat  date 
can  you  give  us  for  shipping  these  goods  ?  " 

2.  The  interrogation-point  is  used  to  ex- 
press doubt:  e.g.,  This  volume  is  said  to  be 
bound  in  real  (?)  morocco. 

3.  Indirect  questions  do  not  take  the 
interrogation-point:  e.g.,  He  inquired  when 
it  would  be  ready, 

QUOTATION-MARKS 

1.  Enclose  every  direct  quotation  in 
double  quotation-marks:  e.g.,  u I  insist  upon 
it"  he  said;   " there  is  no  alternative." 

2.  When  a  quotation  of  a  passage  from  an 
author  in  his  own  words  is  run  into  the  text 
it  should  be  placed  between  quotation-marks. 

3.  Selections  from  different  works  by  the 
same  author,  or  from  different  authors,  fol- 
lowing each  other  without  intervening  origi- 
nal matter,  or  by  reference  to  their  sources, 
should  be  quoted.       ' 

4.  When  setting  poetry  the  quotation- 
marks  should  overhang  the  beginning  of  the 
line.  This  should  also  be  done  when  prose 
display  matter  is  "  blocked. " 

5.  Single   quotes   are   used  for  quotations 


PUNCTUATION  17 

within   quotations;     double   quotes  for   quo- 
tations within  single  quotations. 

6.  Quotations  should  always  include  the 
phrase  etc.,  and  other  ellipses  whenever  neces- 
sary to  secure  perfect  clearness. 

7.  When  a  long  quotation  is  made,  in- 
cluding several  paragraphs  or  verses,  the 
quotation-mark  should  appear  at  the  begin- 
ning of  each  paragraph,  but  at  the  end  of  the 
last  one  only. 

Quote : 

1.  A  phrase  or  a  word  which  is  accom- 
panied by  its  definition:  e.g.,  "  Roman  quote11 
means  to  place  the  matter  indicated  between 
quotations  in  roman  type. 

2.  Words  or  phrases  in  the  text  which  are 
intended  by  the  writer  to  possess  an  unusual, 
technical,  or  ironical  meaning:  e.g.,  Her 
literary  "salon"  will  long  be  remembered; 
This  so-called  "  captain  of  industry." 

3.  Titles  of  poems,  books,  etc.:  e.g., 
Longfellow's  "  Belfry  of  Bruges " 

4.  Serial  titles:   e.g.,  the  u Oriental  Series, 
"  Stories  of  Nations." 

5.  Words  to  which  the  writer  desires  to 
attract  attention:  e.g.,  The  name  of  u Florence" 
immediately  causes  one  to  think  of  humanism, 

6.  The  names  of  ships,  unless  directed  to 
italicize  them. 

7.  The  titles  of  works  of  art:  e.g., 
Raphael's  uSistine  Madonna" 


j? 


18     THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

PARENTHESES 

i.  Marks  of  parenthesis  are  employed  to 
separate  from  the  rest  of  the  sentence  enclosed 
expressions  having  no  essential  connection: 
e.g.,  /  am  unable  to  take  this  action  (why  do 
you  urge  me  ?)  for  reasons  which  I  cannot  now 
give. 

2.  Figures  or  letters  used  to  mark  divi- 
sions in  enumerations  should  be  placed  be- 
tween parentheses:  e.g.,  There  is  a  double 
reason  for  doing  this:  (a)  it  is  the  simplest 
form;   (b)  it  is  clearer  for  the  reader. 

BRACKETS 

Use  brackets: 

i.  To  enclose  explanations  or  notes  which 
are  entirely  independent  of  the  balance  of  the 
sentence.  Ordinarily  these  are  comments, 
queries,  directions,  corrections,  or  criticisms 
inserted  by  some  person  other  than  the 
original  writer:  e.g.,  Let  them  clamor  to  get 
them  back  again  [cheers]. 

2.  Rather  than  parentheses,  to  enclose 
drop-folios  (folios  placed  at  foot  of  page). 

3.  For  enclosing  parenthetical  statements 
within  parentheses. 

THE  APOSTROPHE 

Use  the  apostrophe  (or  the  apostrophe  and 
the  letter  s) : 

1.  To  form  the  possessive  case  of  com- 
mon  and   proper   nouns:    e.g.,    The  nation's 


PUNCTUATION  19 

hope;  For  Jesus'  sake;  James's  apple;  For 
appearance'  sake;    The  boys'  camp. 

2.  To  form  the  plural  of  numerals,  but 
the  apostrophe  alone  for  the  plural  of 
polysyllabic  proper  nouns  ending  in  a  sibi- 
lant: e.g.,  They  passed  by  in  two's  and 
four's;     She    is     one    of    those    W.C.T.U.'s; 

That  came  from  Perkins'.  Add  es  or  5  for 
monosyllabic  proper  nouns:  e.g.,  The  Fosses. 
In  general,  the  pronunciation  may  be  taken 
as  a  guide:  if  it  is  necessary  to  add  a  sylla- 
ble to  pronounce  the  possessive,  use  the 
double  s:   e.g.,  Sickles'  corps,  not  Sickles' s. 

3.  Use  the  apostrophe  to  indicate  the 
omission  of  one  or  more  letters  in  a  con- 
tracted word,  or  the  omission  of  figures  in  a 
number:  e.g.,  That's  'ow  'twas;  The  spirit 
of  'j6;  High  o'er  our  heads;  I'll  for  /  will; 
Don't  for  do  not,  sha'n't,  etc. 

4.  The  custom  of  substituting  the  apos- 
trophe for  the  letter  e  in  poetry,  at  one  time 
common,  is  now  obsolete:  e.g.,  At  ev'ry  word 
a  reputation  dies.  This  rule  is  disregarded 
when  the  letter  is  omitted  for  metrical  reasons. 

THE  HYPHEN 

The  hyphen  is  employed  to  join  words 
together  which  have  not  become  single  words 
through  general  usage,  and  where  words  are 
necessarily  broken  at  the  end  of  a  line.  It  is 
also  used  to  separate  the  syllables  of  words, 
in  showing  the  correct  pronunciation.  (See 
Compound  Words.) 


CAPITALIZATION 


T 


HE  original  use  of  capitals  in  early  manu- 
scripts was  for  the  purpose  of  variety 
and  ornamentation,  and  their  position  was 
naturally  subject  to  each  writer's  individual 
taste.  Good  form  now  prescribes  certain 
definite  rules  of  capitalization  as  follows: 

RELIGIOUS  TERMS 
Capitalize : 

i.  Titles  of  parables:  e.g.,  the  parable  of 
the  Prodigal  Son,  etc. 

2.  The  books  and  divisions  of  the  Bible 
and  of  other  sacred  books:  e.g.,  Old  Testament, 
Book  of  Job,  etc. 

3.  Versions  of  the  Bible:  e.g.,  King 
James  Version,  Revised  Version,  etc. 

4.  The  names  of  monastic  orders  and 
their  members:  e.g.,  the  Jesuits,  the  Black 
Friars,  etc. 

5.  The  word  Church  when  it  stands  for 
the  Church  universal,  or  when  part  of  a  name: 
e.g.,  the  Church,  the  First  Congregational 
Church,  the  Church  of  Rome;  but  use  lower 
case  when  referring  to  church  history. 

6.  The  word  Gospel  when  it  refers  to  a 
book  of  the  Bible,  as  the  Gospel  of  John,  or 

20 


CAPITALIZATION 


21 


the  Gospels;  but  use  lower  case  when  refer- 
ring to  the  gospel  message. 

7.  Pronouns  referring  to  God  or  Christ 
when  used  in  direct  address,  or  whenever  the 
reference  might  otherwise  be  mistaken. 

8.  General  biblical  terms:  e.g.,  Priestly 
Code ,  Apostles1  Creed,  Lord's  Prayer,  Lord's 
Supper,  The  Prophets,  and  Major  and  Minor 
Prophets,  when  the  collection  of  prophetical 
books  is  intended;  but  use  lower  case  for  the 
adjectives  biblical  and  scriptural. 

9.  Names  applied  to  the  Evil  One,  except 
when  used  as  an  expletive,  or  as  a  general 
name  for  any  demon:    e.g., 

"When  the  Devil  was  sick,  the  Devil  a  monk  would  be; 
When  the  Devil  was  well,  the  devil  a  monk  was  he." 

10.  The  word  Holy  in  the  Holy  place  and 
the  Holy  of  holies. 

n.  The  title  of  a  psalm:  e.g.,  the  Twenty- 
fourth  Psalm. 

12.    Capitalize  the  following: 


Almighty 

Jesus  Christ 

Revised  Version 

Authorized  Version 

King 

Sabbath 

Common  Version 

Logos 

Saviour 

Creator 

Lord 

Scriptures 

Deity 

Messiahship 

Son  of  Man 

Father 

Messiah 

Son 

God 

Messianic 

Spirit 

Holy  Bible 

Passover 

The  Trinity 

Holy  Spirit 

Pentecost 

The  Virgin  Mary 

Holy  Writ 

Redeemer 

Word 

Jehovah 

22     THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

Do  not  capitalize: 

i.  Words  like  epistle,  book  (as  the  book  of 
Ruth),  psalm,  or  psalms  when  not  used  dis- 
tinctively, or  psalmist  when  the  author  of  a 
single  psalm  is  intended. 

2.  Words  like  heaven,  heavenly,  hell. 

3.  The  words  fatherhood  and  sonship,  god 
when  a  pagan  deity  is  referred  to,  temple. 

PROPER  NAMES 
Capitalize : 

1.  Epithets  employed  as  substitutes  for 
or  affixes  to  proper  names:  e.g.,  Peter  the 
Great,  the  Pretender,  etc. 

2.  The  words  Pilgrim  Fathers  and  Early 
Fathers  (referring  to  the  Early  Church),  etc. 

3.  The  word  Revolutionary  when  refer- 
ring to  the  Revolution  of  1776:  e.g.,  a  Revolu- 
tionary soldier. 

4.  The  words  river,  creek,  brook,  mountain, 
mine,  district,  county,  channel,  when  used  as  a 
part  of  a  title:  e.g.,  Hudson  River,  Clear  Brook, 
Rocky  Mountains;  but  use  lower  case  when 
preceded  by  the:  e.g.,  the  Hudson  river,  etc. 

5.  Nouns  designating  definite  geographi- 
cal portions  of  the  country  or  divisions  of  the 
world:  e.g.,  the  North,  the  South,  the  West, 
the  Old  World;  and  in  the  division  of  the 
Jewish  Commonwealth,  the  Northern  King- 
dom, the  Southern  Kingdom.  Also  capitalize 
the  adjectival  nouns  derived  from  them: 
e.g.,     Northerner,    Southerner,   Oriental,    Occi- 


CAPITALIZATION  23 

dental.     Use  lower  case  for  adjectives:  e.g.,  He 
is  now  in  southern  California,  etc. 

6.  Abstract  ideas  or  terms  when  personi- 
fied; e.g.,  Pride  flaunts  herself;  Nature  gives 
willingly  of  her  abundance. 

7.  Names  of  streets,  squares,  parks, 
buildings,  etc.:  e.g.,  Beacon  Street,  Copley 
Square,  Franklin  Park,  Tremont  Building,  etc. 

8.  Abbreviations  of  names  of  corporations 
and  firms:  e.g.,  N.Y.C.  &  H.R.R.R. 

9.  The  abbreviation  Co.  (Company)  in 
firm  or  corporation  names. 

10.  The  scientific  names  of  divisions, 
orders,  families,  and  genera  in  all  botanical, 
geological,  or  zoological  copy:  e.g.,  Ich- 
neumon Fly  (Thalessa  lunator),  Reptilia, 
Vertebrata,  etc. 

11.  The  days  of  the  week  and  the  months 
of  the  year,  but  use  lower  case  for  the  seasons, 
unless  personified  or  referred  to  specifically: 
e.g.,  It  was  a  bright  spring  day;  but,  Spring, 
beautiful  Spring;   the  Spring  of  igi  1,  etc. 

12.  The  popular  names  of  the  bodies  of  the 
solar  system  (except  sun,  moon,  stars,  earth): 
e.g.,  the  Dipper,  the   Milky  Way,  Venus,  etc. 

13.  In  botanical  and  zoological  copy,  the 
names  of  species  if  derived  from  proper  names 
or  from  generic  names,  but  in  geological  and 
medical  matter  use  lower  case  for  the  names 
of  species,  even  though  derived  from  proper 
names:  e.g.,  Clover-root  Borer,  Hylesinus  tri- 
folii,  Pterygomatopus  schmidti. 


24     THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

14.    Capitalize  the  following: 

Articles  of  Confederation  Magna  Charta 
Bill  of  Rights  Middle  Ages 
Commonwealth  (Cromwell's)        Reformation 
Commune  Renaissance 
Constitution  Restoration 
Crusades  Revolution  of  July- 
Hundred  Years'  War  Seven  Years'  War 
Inquisition  Stone  Age 

Do  not  capitalize : 

1.  Words  derived  from  proper  names 
and  their  derivatives  when  such  words  are 
so  familiarly  used  as  to  lose  the  significance 
and  personality  of  their  origin:  e.g.,fletcherize, 
macadamize,  quixotic,  italicize,  etc. 

2.  Nouns  and  adjectives  when  they  merely 
fix  a  point  of  the  compass:  e.g.,  He  came 
from  the  north,  western  New  York,  upper 
Canada,  etc. 

3.  The  words  father,  mother,  mamma,  and 
all  other  family  appellations,  except  when 
used  with  the  proper  name  of  the  person 
or  without  a  possessive  pronoun:  e.g.,  I 
expect  to  meet  my  mother,  but,  /  have  received 
a  telegram  from  Mother;  My  aunt  gave  me  this, 
but,  It  is  a  present  from  Aunt  Mary. 

TITLES 
Capitalize : 

1.  The  word  State  when  it  refers  to  a 
political  division  of  the  Union:  e.g.,  the  State 


CAPITALIZATION  25 

of  Massachusetts;  but  use  lower  case  when  the 
word  is  employed  as  an  adjective. 

2.  The  words  Federal,  Government,  Con- 
stitution, Cabinet,  Administration  when  they 
refer  to  United  States  Government,  and 
President  when  referring  to  the  President  of 
the  United  States. 

3.  All  titles  of  honor,  nobility,  and  re- 
spect: e.g.,  His  Excellency,  Her  Majesty, 
Father  William,  Mother  Hubbard,  Cousin 
John,  Deacon  Smith. 

4.  Civil  and  military  titles  when  they  are 
used  specifically:  e.g.,  President  Taft,  King 
George,  the  Governor,  General  Grant,  etc.; 
but  do  not  capitalize  the  titles  of  offices 
actually  existing  when  following  the  name: 
e.g.,  William  H.  Taft,  president  of  the  United 
States. 

5.  The  names  of  societies:  e.g.,  Young 
People's  Society  of  Christian  Endeavor,  Boston 
Congregational  Club,  Second  Church  Parish. 

6.  Names  of  expositions,  conventions, 
etc.:  e.g.,  Brockton  Fair,  Congress  of  Physi- 
ology, etc. 

7.  Abbreviations  of  degrees:  e.g.,  Ph.D., 
LL.D.,  Litt.D.,  omitting  space  between  the 
letters. 

8.  Such  titles  as  von,  in  German,  le,  la, 
du,  de,  or  d',  in  French,  da,  della,  di,  or  de\ 
etc.,  in  Italian,  when  the  forename  is  not 
given:  e.g.,  Von  Humboldt,  Da  Ponte;  but 
when  the  article  or  preposition  is  preceded  by 


26     THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

a  forename  the  title  should  not  be  capitalized: 
e.g.,  Lorenzo  de'  Medici.  Van  in  Dutch  is 
always  capitalized. 

9.  After  Whereas  and  Resolved,  followed  by 
a  comma,  begin  the  first  word  with  a  capital; 
e.g.,  Whereas,  It  has  pleased  Almighty 
God  .  .  . ;    therefore  be  it  Resolved,  That  .  .  . 

10.  After  a  colon,  capitalize  the  first  word 
only  when  followed  by  a  complete  independ- 
ent sentence  or  passage  or  where  preceded 
by  such  introductory  phrases  as  namely,  as 
follows,  for  instance,  the  point  is  this,  my  con- 
clusion is  this,  etc. 

n.  In  titles  of  books  or  essays  all  words 
except  unimportant  adjectives,  prepositions, 
and  conjunctions:  e.g.,  The  Fall  of  the  House 
of  Usher. 

Do  not  capitalize : 

1.  Adjectives  compounded  with  an  in- 
separable prefix  with  proper  names;  e.g., 
transatlantic,  unamerican. 

2.  The  words  apostle,  pope,  bishop,  canon, 
rector,  chaplain,  minister,  etc.,  when  sepa- 
rated from  names  or  used  descriptively:  e.g., 
the  apostle  Paul;  but  in  direct  address  they 
should  be  capitalized  :  e.g.,  "0  Apostle  Paul." 

INSTITUTIONAL  TERMS 

Capitalize : 

1.  Thanksgiving  Day,  Lord's  Day,  New 
Year's    Day,    the    Fourth    (referring    to     the 


CAPITALIZATION  2J 

Fourth    of    July),    Children's    Day,    Easter, 
Founder's  Day,  etc. 

2.  The  word  College  or  University  only 
when  part  of  the  title:  e.g.,  Amherst  College, 
Harvard  University. 

3.  Political  alliances  and  terms  which 
have  acquired  similar  significance:  e.g.,  the 
Dreibund,  the  Insurgents. 

4.  Titles  of  treaties,  laws,  and  acts:   e.g., 
the   Treaty  of  Portsmouth,  the   Declaration  of \ 
Independence,  the  Edict  of  Nantes. 

5.  Names  of  political  parties:  e.g.,  Re- 
publican, Democrat,  etc.;  but  use  lower  case 
for  republican  form  of  government,  a  true 
democrat,  etc.,  where  reference  is  not  made  to 
members  of  political  parties. 

6.  Names  and  epithets  of  races,  tribes, 
and  peoples:  e.g.,  Hottentots,  Celestials,  etc.; 
but  use  lower  case  for  negro,  colored  people, 
the  blacks,  the  whites,  poor  whites,  etc. 

7.  Generic  parts  of  names  of  political 
divisions  (a)  when  the  term  is  an  organic 
part  of  the  name,  directly  following  the 
proper  name:  e.g.,  the  Russian  Empire,  Nor- 
folk  County,  etc.;  (b)  when  it  is  used  with 
the  preposition  of  as  an  integral  part  of  the 
name  indicating  administrative   subdivisions 

m  of  the  United  States:  e.g.,  Commonwealth  of 
Massachusetts;  (c)  when  it  is  used  singly  as 
designation  for  a  specific  division:  e.g.,  the 
Dominion  (of  Canada),  the  Union;  (d)  when 
it  is  used  as  part  of  an  appellation  as  though 


28     THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

a  real  geographical  name:  e.g.,  the  Pine  Tree 
State,  the  Promised  Land;  but  use  lower  case 
for  such  terms  when  standing  alone  or  pre- 
ceding the  specific  name:  e.g.,  the  empire  of 
Germany,  the  county  of  Norfolk. 

8.  Numbered  political  divisions:  e.g., 
Ward  Eleven,  Fifth  Precinct,  Eleventh  Con- 
gressional District,  etc. 

Do  not  capitalize : 

i.  The  words  legislature,  circuit  court,  dis- 
trict court,  city  council,  supreme  court,  senate, 
and  house  of  representatives  except  when 
specifically  applied:  e.g.,  the  legislature  of  the 
State,  the  circuit  court,  etc.;  but  Congress,  the 
Circuit  Court  of  Suffolk  County,  the  House  of 
Representatives  of  the    United  States. 

2.  The  words  high  school,  grammar  school, 
except  as  part  of  title:  e.g.,  the  Dorchester 
High  School;  but  the  high  school  of  Dor- 
chester. 

REFERENCES 
Capitalize : 

i.  Nouns  followed  by  a  capitalized  roman 
numeral:  e.g.,  Act  I,  Vol.  VIII,  etc.  In 
references  the  nouns  and  the  roman  numerals 
are  often  lower-cased. 

Do  not  capitalize : 

i.  Minor  subdivisions  and  their  abbre- 
viations of  literary  references:,  e.g.,  line,  verse, 
note,  section,  chapter,  page,  etc. 


CAPITALIZATION  20, 

ORDINALS 
Capitalize : 

i.  Sessions  of  Congress,  dynasties,  names 
of  regiments,  etc.:  e.g.,  the  Fifty-fourth  Con- 
gress, the  Sixteenth  Dynasty,  the  Forty-fourth 
Massachusetts. 

IN   GENERAL 
Capitalize : 

i.  The  first  word  of  a  sentence  and  the 
first  word  of  each  line  of  poetry. 

2.  The  words  /  and  O. 

3.  The  first  word  after  a  colon  when  in- 
troducing a  sentence  having  an  independent 
meaning:  e.g.,  My  explanation  is:  Com- 
petition forces  each  manufacturer  to  study 
economies. 

4.  Words  having  special  meanings:  e.g., 
the  Referee's  decision,  a  Bachelors  degree. 

5.  The  first  word  of  every  direct  quotation. 

6.  In  side-heads  capitalize  only  the  first 
word  and  proper  names. 

7.  In  a  letter,  the  first  word  after  the 
address.  In  the  address,  sir,  friend,  father, 
brother,  sister,  etc. 

Do  not  capitalize : 

1.  Words  used  in  forming  parts  of  hy- 
phenated compounds:  e.g.,  The  speed  of  the 
Twentieth- century  Limited,  West  Twenty-third 
Street,  etc. 

2.  Units    of    measurement   and    their   ab- 


30     THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

breviations:   e.g.,  second,  minute,  hour,  ounce, 
pound,  foot,  yard,  etc. 

3.  The  first  word  of  a  quotation  follow- 
ing a  colon  (a)  if  it  is  closely  connected  with 
what  precedes  it;  (b)  if  the  phrase  is  depend- 
ent upon  the  preceding  clause;  or  (c)  if  the 
words  following  the  colon  contain  comment: 
e.g.,  These  explanations  occur  to  me  :  either 
the  manufacturers  are  unaware  of  the  situation, 
or  they  have  become  indifferent. 

4.  The  definite  article  as  a  part  of  the 
title  in  mentioning  newspapers  or  magazines: 
e.g.,  the  Boston  Herald,  the  Review  of  Reviews. 

TJWhen  a  date  is  at  the  end  of  a  letter  or 
paper,  it  is  to  be  placed  at  the  left  of  page, 
using  roman  caps  and  lower  case  if  above 
signature;  caps,  small  caps,  and  italic  if 
below  signature. 

TfOn  title-pages  and  in  headings  certain 
words  may  be  capitalized  which  in  para- 
graphed matter  would  be  made  lower  case: 
e.g.,  Queen  Maria  Sophia,  a  Forgotten  Heroine. 

If  In  MS.,  two  lines  drawn  underneath  a 
word  or  words  indicate  small  capitals;  three 
lines,  CAPITALS. 

SMALL  CAPITALS 

1.  B.C.  and  a.d.,  a.m.  and  p.m.  should  be 
set  in  small  caps,  with  no  spacing  between 
the  letters:  e.g.,  B.C.  480. 


SPELLING 


T 


HE  difficulties  which  a  writer  encounters 
who  has  not  firmly  anchored  himself  to  some 
recognized  authority  are  many,  and  for 
those  who  have  found  this  refuge  to  remain 
consistent  is  almost  an  impossibility.  To 
the  complications  occasioned  by  variations 
in  spelling  certain  words  given  authority  by 
the  different  recognized  dictionaries,  there 
has  been  added  more  recently  the  bewilder- 
ment of  the  " reformed"  spelling.  To  lay 
down  hard-and-fast  rules,  therefore,  would  be 
an  act  of  folly,  but  a  safe  guide  to  follow  is  to 
note  that  when  two  or  more  forms  exist  in  any 
good  usage,  including  good  minority  usage, 
or  recent  usage  among  bibliographers,  scien- 
tists, and  other  systematic  writers,  the  follow- 
ing rules  are  observed: 

(a)  Prefer  the  form  most  correct  etymologically 

(b)  Prefer  the  shortest  and  simplest 

(c)  Prefer  the  more  phonetic  form 

(d)  Prefer  English  spelling  rather  than  foreign. 

With    this    as    a    basis,    the    following    rules 
may  be  formulated: 

NUMBERS 

i.    Percentage  should  always  take  figures: 
e.g.,  1/2  of  1  per  cent. 

31 


32  THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

2.  Spell  out  references  to  specific  decades: 
e.g.,  Back  in  the  eighties. 

3.  Spell  out  years  and  months  in  stating 
ages:  e.g.,  Edward  is  five  years  and  four 
months  'old. 

4.  Spell  out  numbers  of  centuries,  dynas- 
ties, military  bodies,  streets  and  thorough- 
fares, sessions  of  Congress. 

5.  In  statistical  or  technical  matter  figures 
should  be  used:    e.g.,  The  paper  to  be  used  is 

33  x  44  inches,  and  weighs  120  pounds  to  the 
ream. 

6.  Spell  out,  in  ordinary  reading  matter, 
all  numbers  of  less  than  three  digits:  e.g., 
We  have  twenty-five  titles,  amounting  to  250,000 
volumes  in  all. 

7.  If,  in  a  group  of  numbers,  some  con- 
sist of  three  digits  and  others  of  less,  use 
figures  for  all:  e.g.,  The  packages  contain, 
respectively,  50,  85,  and  128  sheets,  not  fifty, 
eighty -five,  and  128. 

8.  Spell  out  round  numbers,  but  use 
figures  for  specific,  even  though  approximate 
statements:  e.g.,  The  population  of  the  United 
States  is  about  one  hundred  millions;  but,  The 
population  of  the  United  States  is  Q2, 000,000. 

9.  Always  spell  out  a  figure,  whatever  its 
size,  when  it  begins  a  sentence.  If  for  any 
reason  this  is  impracticable  the  sentence  must 
be  reconstructed. 

10.    In  ordinary  reading    matter   spell    out 
the  time  of  day,  but  in  enumerations,  and 


SPELLING  33 

always  in  connection  with  a.m.  and  p.m., 
use  figures,  omitting  the  word  o'clock:  e.g., 
The  doors  open  at  7.-30  p.m. 

DIPHTHONGS 

1.  Avoid  all  diphthongs,  especially  ce  and 
oz,  but  retain  a  and  ce  in  Latin  words  and  in 
nominal  English  forms  like  formulce  and  other 
plurals,  arbor  vita,  etc.  Established  English 
words  having  now  or  formerly  the  ligature 
(B  or  ce  are  generally  written  with  the  simple  e. 

SIMPLE  RULES   OF   ORTHOGRAPHY 

1.  Monosyllablic  words  which  end  in  /,  /, 
or  s,  when  preceded  by  a  single  vowel,  double 
their  final  letter:  e.g.,  muff,  still,  lass.  Ex- 
ceptions: clef,  of,  if,  bul,  nul,  sal,  sol,  as,  gas, 
has,  was,  yes,  gris,  is,  his,  this,  pus,  us,  thus. 

2.  Monosyllabic  words  which  end  in  con- 
sonants other  than  /,  I,  or  s  do  not  double 
their  final  letter.  Exceptions:  abb,  add,  ebb, 
odd,  mumm,  inn,  bunn,  err,  purr,  burr,  butt, 
mitt,  fizz,  fuzz,  buzz. 

3.  Monosyllabic  words  ending  in  a  con- 
sonant immediately  following  a  diphthong  or 
a  double  vowel  do  not  double  their  final 
letter.     Exception:   guess. 

4.  In  monosyllables  and  words  accented 
on  the  final  syllable  ending  with  a  single 
consonant  (excepting  h  or  x)  preceded  by  a 
single  vowel,  or  by  qu  and  a  vowel,  the  final 
consonant  is  doubled  before  an  added  termi- 


34     THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

nation  beginning  with  a  vowel,  irrespective 
of  the  addition  of  another  syllable:  e.g.,  stop, 
stopped;  regret,  regretting.  When,  however, 
the  place  of  the  accent  is  changed  by  the 
added  termination,  the  final  consonant  is  not 
doubled:   e.g.,  prefer',  preferable. 

5.  In  monosyllables  and  words  not  ac- 
cented on  the  last  syllable,  an  added  termi- 
nation does  not  double  the  final  consonant 
when  it  is  preceded  by  a  diphthong  or 
by  two  vowels:  e.g.,  profit,  profited;  cancel, 
canceled;  benefit,  benefited;  equal,  equality, 
novel,  novelist,  and  all  the  derivatives  of 
parallel. 

6.  Words  which  end  in  any  double  letters 
retain  the  double  with  a  termination  not 
beginning  with  the  same  letter.  This  rule 
also  holds  for  derivatives  formed  by  means 
of  prefixes:  e.g.,  agreeing,  calling,  recall.  Ex- 
ceptions: instalment,  enrolment,  skilful,  wilful, 
enthralment,  pontific,  withal,  until,  and  similar 
derivatives. 

7.  Words  ending  in  -our,  the  u  being  un- 
sounded, are  spelled  -or,  with  the  exception 
of  Saviour  and  glamour.  The  English  custom 
is  to  retain  the  -our  in  most  words  having  this 
ending. 

8.  Words  derived  from  words  ending  in  si- 
lent e  after  a  consonant  retain  the  e  when  the 
added  termination  begins  with  a  consonant: 
e.g.,  state,  statement,  stately;  pale,  paleness; 
move,     movement.       Exceptions:     abridgment, 


SPELLING  35 

■ 
acknowledgment,  judgment,  lodgment,  nursling, 
wholly,  wisdom. 

When  another  vowel  (except  e  or  i)  imme- 
diately precedes  the  final  e,  the  final  e  is 
usually  dropped  before  a  consonant:  e.g., 
argue,  argument;  awe,  awful;  true,  truly,  etc. 
There  are,  however,  many  exceptions  to  this 
rule:   e.g.,  eye,  eyesight,  etc. 

When  the  termination  begins  with  a  vowel, 
the  final  e  is  omitted:  e.g.,  sale,  salable; 
bride,  bridal;  force,  forcible.  Exceptions:  mileage, 
etc. 

9.  When  words  end  in  ce  or  ge  the  final  e 
is  retained  before  added  terminations  begin- 
ning with  a  or  o\  e.g.,  change,  changeable; 
courage,  courageous. 

10.  In  participles  the  final  e  is  sometimes 
retained  for  the  purpose  of  distinguishing 
them  from  other  words  pronounced  the  same 
but  having  a  different  meaning:  e.g.,  singe, 
singeing,  to  distinguish  from  singing;  dye, 
dyeing,  to  distinguish  from  dying,  etc.  The 
e  is  also  retained  in  hoeing,  toeing,  and 
shoeing.1 

11.  Words  ending  in  ie  change  their  ter- 
mination to  y  upon  adding  ing:  e.g.,  die, 
dying;   vie,  vying. 

12.  Words  ending  in  y  preceded  by  a  con- 
sonant change  the  y  to  i  before  any  added 
termination    not    beginning     with    i:     e.g., 


1  See  list  on  page  37. 


36     THE   WRITER'S   DESK   BOOK 

• 

merry,  merriment;  happy,  happiness.  Excep- 
tions: adjectives  of  one  syllable:  e.g.,  dry, 
dryly;  sly,  slyness.  Also  except  derivatives 
formed  by  adding  ship  and  hood:  e.g.,  surety- 
ship,  babyhood;  but  hardihood. 

When  the  final  y  is  preceded  by  a  vowel, 
the  y  is  usually  changed  to  i:  e.g.,  gay,  gaiety; 
day,  daily;  pay,  paid;  lay,  laid,  etc. 

13.  The  French  ending  -re  in  theater,  center, 
meager,  sepulcher,  etc.,  is  not  now  generally 
considered  good  usage. 

14.  The  possessive  of  proper  nouns  end- 
ing in  5  or  other  sibilant  is  formed  by 
adding  the  apostrophe  and  5  if  the  word 
is  of  one  syllable:  e.g.,  James's  apple;  but 
add  the  apostrophe  alone  if  the  word 
is  of  more  than  one  syllable:  e.g.,  For  Jesus9 
sake.1 

15.  Words  which  in  their  shortest  form 
end  in  -d,  -de,  -ge,  -mit,  -rt,  -se,  -ss  take  the 
ending  -sion:  e.g.,  abscind,  abscission;  se- 
clude, seclusion;  emerge,  emersion;  admit, 
admission;  revert,  reversion;  confuse,  con- 
fusion ;  impress,  impression.  Other  words 
take  the  ending  -tion.2 

ACCENTED  WORDS 

The  following  is  a  partial  list  of  words  in 
common  use  in  which  accented  letters  occur: 


1  See  page  19. 

2  See  list  of  irregular  forms,  and  departures  from  rule 
on  page  39. 


SPELLING 


37 


attach6 

entrepdt 

proces  verbal 

charge  d'affaires 

expose" 

protege" 

confrere 

facade 

regime 

coup  d'etat 

faience 

resume" 

coup  de  grace 

habitue 

role 

creche 

lese  majesty 

sefior 

d£bris 

materiel 

soiree 

en  arriere 

matinee 

tete-a-tete 

en  6chelon 

melee 

vis-a-vis 

en  regie 

nee 

vis6 

entree 

papier-mache* 
PARTICIPLES 

These    participles    should    be    spelled    as 
follows: 


acknowledging 

gluing 

owing 

agreeing 

grudging 

shoeing 

awing 

hieing 

singeing 

bluing 

hoeing 

tingeing 

dyeing 

icing 

trudging 

encouraging 

judging 

truing 

VARIABLE  ENDINGS 

i.    The  following    words   are  spelled  with 
the  termination  ize: 


aggrandize 

agonize 

analyze 

anatomize 

anglicize 

apologize 

apostrophize 

apprize  {to  value) 

authorize 

baptize 

brutalize 


canonize 

catechize 

catholicize 

cauterize 

centralize 

characterize 

christianize 

civilize 

colonize 

criticize 

crystallize 


demoralize 

dogmatize 

economize 

emphasize 

epitomize 

equalize 

eulogize 

evangelize 

extemporize 

familiarize 

fertilize 


38 


I     THE    WRITER     S    DESK    BOOK 

fossilize 

nationalize 

soliloquize 

fraternize 

naturalize 

specialize 

galvanize 

neutralize 

spiritualize 

generalize 

organize 

standardize 

gormandize 

ostracize 

stigmatize 

harmonize 

paralyze 

subsidize 

immortalize 

particularize 

summarize 

italicize 

pasteurize 

syllogize 

jeopardize 

patronize 

symbolize 

legalize 

philosophize 

sympathize 

liberalize 

plagiarize 

tantalize 

localize 

pulverize 

temporize 

magnetize 

realize 

tranquilize 

memorialize 

recognize 

tyrannize 

mesmerize 

reorganize 

universalize 

metamorphize 

revolutionize 

utilize 

methodize 

satirize 

vaporize 

minimize 

scandalize 

vitalize 

modernize 

scrutinize 

vocalize 

monopolize 

signalize 

vulcanize 

moralize 

solemnize 

vulgarize 

2.    The    following    words   are  spelled  with 
the  termination  ise: 


advertise 

devise 

incise 

advise 

disfranchise 

manuprise 

appraise 

disguise 

merchandise 

apprise  (to  inform) 

emprise 

premise 

arise 

enfranchise 

reprise 

chastise 

enterprise 

revise 

circumcise 

exercise 

rise 

comprise 

exorcise 

supervise 

compromise 

franchise 

surmise 

demise 

improvise 

surprise 

3.    The  following  words  have  the  termina- 
tion -ible;     words  not    included    in  this  list 


SPELLING 


39 


end  in  -able1,  except  a  few  words  pronounced 
similarly,  but  spelled  differently. 


accessible 

discernible 

legible 

admissible 

distensible 

miscible 

appetible 

divisible 

negligible 

apprehensible 

docible 

partible 

audible 

edible 

passible  2 

cessible 

effectible 

perceptible 

coercible 

eligible 

permissible 

compatible 

eludible 

persuasible 

competible 

enforcible 

pervertible 

comprehensible 

evincible 

plausible 

compressible 

expansible 

possible 

conceptible 

expressible 

productible 

contemptible 

extendible 

reducible 

contractible 

extensible 

reflexible 

controvertible 

fallible 

refrangible 

convertible 

feasible 

remissible 

convincible 

fencible 

reprehensible 

corrigible 

flexible 

resistible 

corrosible 

forcible 

responsible 

corruptible 

francible 

reversible 

credible 

fusible 

revertible 

decoctible 

gullible 

risible 

deducible 

horrible 

seductible 

defeasible 

illegible 

sensible 

defensible 

immiscible 

tangible 

descendible 

impassible  2 

terrible 

destructible 

intelligible 

transmissible 

digestible 

irascible 

visible 

4.    These  are 

the    irregular 

•    forms  of 

endings  -sion  and  -lion. 

adhesion 

attention 

cohesion 

assertion 

coercion 

crucifixion 

1  Rule  :  Derivations  of  the  first  conjugation  in  Latin 
take  a\  those  of  the  other  conjugations,  i.         2  See  page  42. 


40     THE   WRITER    S   DESK    BOOK 


declension 

impulsion     ' 

repulsion 

dimension 

insertion 

revulsion 

dissension 

intention 

scansion 

distortion 

occasion 

suspicion 

divulsion 

propulsion 

tension 

expulsion 

recursion 

version 

5.  The  following  words  are  pronounced 
similarly,  but  the  meaning  changes  with  the 
spelling: 


Advice 

.     counsel 

advise    . 

.     to  counsel 

albumen 

.     white  of  egg 

albumin 

.     viscous  substance 

alegar     . 

.     ale  vinegar 

aleger 

.     cheerful,  sprightly 

ante  . 

.     preceding 

anti  . 

.     against 

apprise 

.     to  inform 

apprize 

.     to  value 

auger 

.     tool 

augur 

.     to  predict  by  signs 

Base 

.     bottom,  vile 

bass  . 

.     lowest  tone 

bask 

.     to  lie  in  warmth 

basque 

.     apparel 

berth 

.     place  to  sleep 

birth 

.     coming  into  life 

breach 

.     gap 

breech 

.     hinder  part  of  a  gun 

Cannon 

.      .     gun 

canon 

.     law  or  rule 

canyon  . 

.     gorge 

cannot    . 

.     denial  of  power 

can  not 

affirmation  of  power 

canvas    . 

.     cloth 

SPELLING 


41 


canvass 

.     to  solicit 

capital 

.     chief,  money,  stock 

capitol 

.     building 

caster 

vial 

castor 

.     rodent 

censer 

.     incense-pan 

censor 

.     critic 

cere  . 

.     to  wax 

sear  . 

.     to  burn  the  surface 

seer  . 

.     prophet 

sere  . 

.     dry,  withered 

claimant 

.     one  who  claims 

clamant 

.     beseeching 

complement 

.     fulness 

compliment 

.     praise 

conveyer 

.     one  who  conveys 

conveyor 

.     contrivance  for  conveying  objects 

coquet    . 

.     to  trifle  in  love 

coquette 

.      .     flirt 

council   . 

.     deliberative  body 

counsel  . 

.     to  advise 

consular 

.     pertaining  to  a  counsel 

councilor 

.     member  of  a  council 

counselor     . 

.     adviser 

corespondent 

.     one  who  answers  jointly  with  another 

correspondent 

.     one  who  corresponds  by  letter 

Depositary  . 

.     receiver 

depository   . 

.     place  of  deposit 

discreet  . 

.     prudent 

discrete  . 

.     distinct 

dyeing    . 

.     coloring 

dying      .      .      . 

.     expiring 

Emigrant     . 

.     one  who  moves  out  of  a  country 

immigrant   . 

.     one  who  moves  into  a  country 

emigration  . 

.     moving  out 

immigration 

.     moving  in 

empirical 

experimentative  ' 

empyrica 

1    .      . 

.     combustible  principle  of  coal 

42     THE    WRITER     S    DESK    BOOK 


Faker 

. 

cheat,  swindler 

fakir 

Oriental  religious  ascetic 

farther   . 

as  applied  to  distance 

further   . 

.     signifying  additional 

Galipot  . 

.     resin  or  pitch 

gallipot  . 

.     medicine  pot 

gantlet   . 

"running  the  gantlet" 

gauntlet 

.     glove 

grisly      . 

.     horrible 

grizzly    . 

.     grayish 

Hoard    . 

accumulate 

horde 

.     troop 

Immanent 

inherent 

imminent 

impending 

impassible 

.     incapable  of  emotion 

impassable 

not  passable 

incipient 

commencing 

insipient 

stupid,  foolish 

indict 

charge  with  crime 

indite 

compose,  write 

indiscreet 

.     imprudent 

indiscrete 

compact 

intension 

.     stretching 

intention 

.     determination 

Lessen    . 

.     to  reduce 

lesson 

.     something  to  be  studied 

Maize 

.     corn 

maze 

.     labyrinth 

marten 

.     animal 

martin 

.     bird 

meat 

.     flesh 

meet . 

.     to  join,  proper 

mete 

.     to  measure 

miner 

.     digger 

minor 

.     under  age 

mucous  . 

.'     slimy 

mucus    . 

.     viscid  fluid 

SPELLING 


43 


0      .     .     . 

wish,  imprecation 

oh!    .     .      . 

.     an  exclamation 

Panel 

.     sunken  plane  with  raised  margins 

pannel    . 

.     rustic  saddle 

parol 

.     oral  declaration 

parole     . 

word  of  honor 

passable . 

.     admitting  passage 

passible  . 

.     unfeeling 

pendant 

.     ornament 

pendent 

.     hanging 

premices 

.     first-fruits 

premises 

.     property 

principal 

.     adjective 

principle 

.     noun 

prophecy 

.     prediction 

prophesy 

.     to  foretell 

Rabbet  . 

.     groove  in  edge  of  boards 

rabbit     . 

small  animal 

resin 

.     semi-liquid  exudation  of  the  pine 

rosin 

.     solid  product  of  turpentine 

rigger     .     .     . 

.     a  fitter  of  ships'  rigging 

rigor 

.     muscular  rigidity 

riot   . 

.     tumult 

ryot  . 

.     tiller  of  the  soil 

Saver 

.     one  who  saves 

savor 

.     flavor 

subtle     . 

.     sly,  artful 

suttle 

.     net  weight 

sheath    . 

.     scabbard 

sheathe  . 

.     to  cover 

sleight    . 

.     artful  trick 

slight 

.     small 

Theocracy   . 

.     government  by  direction  of  God 

theocrasy     . 

.     mixture  of  worship  of  different  gods 

ton    . 

.     measure  of  weight 

tun   . 

.     large  cask 

44     THE    WRITER'S   DESK    BOOK 

Vertical       .      .      .     perpendicular 
verticle  ....     axis,  hinge 

Wheal    ....     raised  mark,  a  welt 
wheel     ....     rotating  disk 


COMPOUND   WORDS 


T; 


HE  general  theory  of  compounding  is 
that  when  two  words  are  used  together  with 
but  a  single  meaning,  the  hyphen  is  em- 
ployed if  the  emphasis  of  pronunciation  falls 
upon  the  first  word,  but  omitted  if  it  is  the 
second  word  which  requires  the  emphasis. 
Practice,  however,  has  shown  that  this  theory 
is  not  sufficiently  specific  in  its  expression 
to  guide  the  student  who  is  desirous  of  mak- 
ing consistent  use  of  the  hyphen,  and  re- 
course to  the  various  dictionaries  adds  to  his 
confusion  because  of  the  many  variations. 
Good  usage,  therefore,  becomes  his  only 
refuge,  and  the  rules  which  are  formulated 
and  collated  here  are  based  wholly  upon 
what  appears  to  the  present  writer  to  come 
within  this  definition.  Many  words  origi- 
nally compounded  or  written  as  two  words 
are  now  written  as  one;  on  the  other  hand, 
modern  usage  now  compounds  or  breaks  into 
two  words  many  words  which  were  originally 
written  as  one. 

1f  In  general,  hyphens  should  always  be 
omitted  when  the  meaning  can  be  equally 
well  expressed  by  using  the  same  words 
separately. 

45 


46     THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

Use  the  hyphen: 

i.  With  the  prefix  mid,  except  in  cases  of 
words  in  common  use:  e.g.,  mid-channel ,  but 
midsummer,  midday,  etc. 

2.  When  two  or  more  words  (except 
proper  names  which  form  a  unity  in  them- 
selves) are  combined,  preceding  a  noun:  e.g., 
the  well-known  financier,  up-to-date  equipment, 
go-as-you-please  race;  but  a  quaint  old  English 
tea-room. 

In  applying  this  rule  be  careful  not  to 
hyphenate  adjectives  and  participles  with 
adverbs  which  end  in  ly,  nor  with  combina- 
tions such  as  those  referred  to  when  following 
a  noun  or  qualifying  a  predicate:  e.g.,  pos- 
sessed of  highly  developed  intelligence,  a  lawyer 
well  thought  of  in  his  own  city. 

3.  In  such  words  as  attorney- general,  vice- 
president,  rear-admiral,  etc. ;  but  not  in  viceroy, 
vicegerent,  etc. 

4.  Compounds  of  color:  e.g.,  olive-green, 
silver-gray,  lemon-yellow,  red-hot,  etc.  But  in 
simple  cases  of  adjective  and  noun,  as  brown- 
ish yellow  or  yellowish  white  the  words  are  not 
compounded. 

5.  In  nouns  which  stand  in  objective  rela- 
tion to  each  other,  one  of  whose  components 
is  derived  from  a  transitive  verb:  e.g.,  /  am 
your  well-wisher,  He  is  a  large  property-holder, 
hero-worship,  but  not  in  bookkeeper,  bookmaker, 
copyholder,  dressmaker,  lawgiver,   proofreader, 


COMPOUND    WORDS  47 

taxpayer,    and    similar    common    short    com- 
pounds.1 

6.  In  compounds  of  fellow:  e.g.,  play- 
fellow, fellow-creatures,  etc. ;   but  bedfellow. 

7.  In  compounds  of  father,  mother,  brother, 
sister,  daughter,  parent,  and  foster:  e.g., 
father -feeling,  mother -country,  brother-love, 
sister-empire,  foster-father,  great-grandfather, 
etc. ;    but  fatherland,  fatherhead,  grandfather. 

8.  In  compounds  of  world  and  life:  e.g., 
life-story,  world-influence,  etc. ;   but  lifetime. 

9.  In  compounds  of  master :  e.g.,  master- 
painter,  etc.;   but  masterpiece. 

10.  In  compounds  of  god:  e.g.,  sun-god, 
rain-god,  etc. ;   but  godson. 

11.  When  half  or  quarter,  etc.,  is  combined 
with  a  noun:  e.g.,  half-circle,  half-title,  quarter- 
mile,  etc.;    but  quartermaster,  headquarters,  etc. 

12.  In  compounds  of  self :  e.g.,  self-esteem, 
self-respecting,  etc.,  but  not  in  selfhood,  selfish, 
selfsame,  or  oneself. 

13.  In  connecting  £x,  vice,  general,  elect, 
etc.,  constituting  parts  of  titles,  with  the 
chief  noun:  e.g.,  ex-Governor  Draper,  Gov- 
ernor-elect Wilson,  etc. 

14.  In  compounds  of  by:  e.g.,  by-laws, 
by-products,  etc. 

15.  In  connection  with  prefixes  co,  pre, 
and  re  when  followed  by  words  beginning 
with  the  same  vowel  as  that  in  which  they 
terminate,  but  not  when  followed  by  a  differ- 

1  See  page  50,  Sec.  5. 


48     THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

ent  vowel  or  a  consonant:  e.g.,  co-operation, 
but  coeducation ;  pre-empted,  but  prearranged; 
re-elected,  but  recast.  Exceptions:  combina- 
tions with  proper  names,  long  or  unusual 
formations,  and  words  where  the  hyphen 
defines  the  meaning:  e.g.,  re-creation  and 
recreation,  re-form  and  reform,  re-collect  and 
recollect,  pre-Raphaelite. 

1 6.  In  writing  ordinal  numbers  when  com- 
pounded with  such  words  as  first-rate,  second- 
hand, etc. 

17.  In  connection  with  the  word  quasi 
prefixed  to  a  noun  or  to  an  adjective:  e.g., 
quasi-corporation,  quasi-compliant,  etc. 

18.  In  connection  with  the  Latin  preposi- 
tions extra,  infra,  semi,  supra,  and  ultra: 
e.g.,  extra-hazardous  but  extraordinary;  ultra- 
conservative  but    Ultramontane. 

19.  In  spelling  out  fractional  numbers 
involving  more  than  two  words:  e.g.,  The 
supply  is  three-quarters  exhausted;  but,  This 
leaves  twenty-five  hundredths. 

20.  In  compounding  numerals  of  one  syllable 
with  self-explanatory  words  of  various  mean- 
ings: e.g.,  three-legged,  four-footed,  one-armed, 
etc. 

Also  in  combining  numerals  with  nouns, 
to  form  an  adjective:  e.g.  twelve-inch  rule, 
hundred-yard  dash,  two-horse  team,  etc. 

21.  In  compounding  a  noun  in  the  posses- 
sive case  with  another  noun:  e.g.,  jews' -harp, 
crow's-nest,  etc. 


COMPOUND    WORDS 


49 


22.  In    some    compounds   with  tree:    e.g., 
apple-tree;  but  whippletree,  crosstree,  etc. 

23.  In     compounding     personal     epithets: 
e.g.,  hard-headed,  bow-legged,  etc. 

24.  Use  the  hyphen  in  the  following  words: 


after-years 

bas-relief 

birth-rate 

blood-feud 

blood-relations 

common-sense 

cross-examine 

cross-reference 

cross-section 

death-rate 

feast-day 


folk-song 

food-stuff 

fountain-head 

guinea-pig 

horse-power 

page-proof 

pay-roll 

poor-law 

post-office 

sea-level 

sense-perception 


son-in-law 

subject-matter 

man-of-war 

object-lesson 

thought-process 

title-page 

wave-length 

well-being 

well-nigh 

will-power 


Do  not  use  the  hyphen : 

1.  When  writing  points  of  the  compass: 
e.g.,  northeast,  southwest;  but  north-northeast, 
etc. 

2.  In  words  ending  in  like,  unless  com- 
pounded with  nouns  containing  more  than 
one  syllable  (except  when  ending  in/):  e.g., 
childlike,  lifelike;  but  business-like,  bell-like,  etc. 

3.  In  compounds  ending  with  man  or 
woman:   e.g.,  workman,  needlewoman,  etc. 

4.  In  phrases  such  as  by  and  by,  by  the  bye, 
good  morning,  attorney  at  law,  coat  of  arms,  etc. 

5.  In  words  ending  in  boat,  house,  look, 
room,  side,  yard,  shop,  mill,  field,  work,  chair, 
maker,  holder,  keeper,  skin,  store,  book,  fold, 
score,   penny,   pence  when  the  prefixed  noun 


50     THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

contains  but  a  single  syllable:  e.g.,  twofold, 
schoolroom,  handbook,  windmill,  bookkeeper, 
workshop,  etc.  Exceptions:  Court-house  and 
State  House. 

When  prefixed  noun  contains  two  syllables, 
use  the  hyphen:  e.g.,  bucket-shop,  twenty-fold, 
ante-room,  mason-work,  paper-mill,  etc.1 

When  prefixed  noun  contains  three  or  more 
syllables  write  as  two  separate  words:  e.g., 
policy  shop. 

6.  In  compounds  of  bi,  tri,  semi,  or  demi: 
e.g.,  bimonthly,  tricolor,  semiannual,  demijohn. 
Exceptions:  long  or  unusual  formations:  e.g., 
bi-centennial,  etc. 

7.  In  today,2  tonight,  tomorrow,  viewpoint, 
or  standpoint. 

8.  In  connection  with  the  negative  pre- 
fixes un,  in,  and  a:  e.g.,  unrepublican, 
inanimate,  etc.,  but  the  prefix  non  requires 
the  hyphen  except  in  words  which  have 
become  common:  e.g.,  non-conductor,  but 
nonsense. 

9.  In  connection  with  the  words  over  and 
under  employed  as  prefixes:  e.g.,  overestimate, 
undersecretary ;  but  over-soul,  over -spiritual, 
under-man. 

10.  In  connection  with  the  Latin  preposi- 
tions ante,  anti,  inter,  intra,  post,  sub,  and 
super:  e.g.,  antedate,  antidote,  subtitle,  etc.; 
but  ante-room,  anti-imperialistic,  intra-atomic. 

1  See  page  47,  Sec.  5. 

2  Cf.  the  old  English  words  to-morn,  to-year,  etc. 


COMPOUND    WORDS  51 

ii.  In  spelling  out  a  series  of  fractions: 
e.g.,  /  can  secure  you  one,  two,  or  three  fifths, 
not  one-,  two-,  or  three-fifths. 

Nor  in  writing  ordinary  fractions:  e.g.,  one 
half,  five  eighths,  etc. 

But  another  class  of  fractions  require  the 
hyphen:  e.g.,  twenty-fifth,  twenty-two  one- 
hundredths. 

12.  In  compounds  ending  with  holder  or 
monger:    e.g.,  stockholder,  ironmonger. 

13.  In  compounds  beginning  with  eye: 
e.g.,  eyeglass,  eyebrow,  eyelash,  eyewitness,  etc. 

14.  In  compounds  with  the  word  school: 
e.g.,  schoolmates,  schoolmaster,  etc.  Excep- 
tions: when  made  with  a  participle:  e.g.,  school- 
teaching;  or  in  combinations  where  separate 
words  are  more  clear:  e.g.,  school  committee, 
school  children,  etc. 

15.  In  compounds  with  deutero,  electro, 
pseudo,  sulpho,  thermo,  etc.,  unless  the  com- 
pound is  unusual:  e.g.,  electrotype,  pseudonym, 
etc. 

16.  In  compound  adverbs:  e.g.,  meantime, 
moreover,  forever,  everywhere,  etc.  But  in 
phrases  like  after  a  while,  in  the  mean  time, 
for  ever  and  ever,  the  words  should  be  sepa- 
rated. 

17.  In  words  like  anybody,  anyhow,  anything, 
anyway,  anywhere,  somebody,  somehow,  something, 
sometime,  somewhat,  somewhere.  But  any  one  and 
some  one  are  written  as  separate  words. 


DIVISION    OF   WORDS 


T 


HE  unnecessary  division  of  a  word  should 
always  be  avoided.  The  whole  word  should 
be  carried  over  whenever  possible. 

2.  A  word  should  be  divided  in  accordance 
with  its  natural  division  in  correct  pronun- 
ciation, rather  than  according  to  derivation: 
e.g.,  knowl-edge,  not  know-ledge;  but  divide 
according  to  meaning  and  derivation  as  far 
as  is  compatible  with  good  spacing  and  pro- 
nunciation: e.g.,  dis-pleasure,  not  displeas-ure. 

3.  A  single  consonant  between  two  vowels 
should  be  joined  with  the  first  vowel  if  short, 
but  with  the  latter  if  long:  e.g.,  riv-er,  ri-val; 
but  avoid  dividing  words  as  short  as  these  if 
possible. 

4.  When  two  consonants  come  together 
between  two  vowels  the  consonants  should 
be  divided:   e.g.,  mil-lion,  struc-ture. 

5.  When  three  consonants  come  together 
between  two  vowels  the  first  of  which  is 
short,  all  which  can  be  pronounced  together  go 
with  the  last  syllable:  e.g.,  han-dle,  chil-dren, 
frus-trate,  etc. 

6.  Whenever  practicable,  and  always  when 
the  pronunciation  of  a  word  is  peculiar,  the 
division  should  come  upon  the  vowel:  e.g., 
pro-duct,  colo-nel,  sepa-rate,  peo-ple,  pro-gress. 

52 


DIVISION   OF   WORDS  53 

Exceptions:  words  ending  in  -able  and  -ibley 
which  should  carry  the  vowel  over  into  the 
next  line. 

7.  The  letters  c  and  g  must  never  be 
separated  from  the  vowels  e,  i,  and  y  upon 
which  their  soft  sound  depends:  e.g.,  re-li- 
gion,  ca-pa-ci-ty,  etc. 

8.  X  must  never  begin  a  syllable,  j  must 
never  end  one,  and  q  must  not  be  separated 
from  u,  which  invariably  follows  it. 

9.  When  used  as  terminations,  ing,  en,  ed, 
er,  est,  and  the  plural  es  are  considered  as 
syllables,  except  when  the  preceding  conso- 
nant is  doubled,  or  when  they  follow  c  or  g 
soft:  e.g.,  speak-ing,  tak-en,  long-er;  but  lat- 
ter, for-cing,  ran-ging. 

10.  Two-letter  divisions  should  always  be 
avoided.  These  words  should  never  be  divid- 
ed: eleven,  heaven,  power,  faster,  finer,  houses, 
given,  flower,  prayer,  soften,  liken,  verses,  listen, 
often,  voyage,  nothing,  even,  etc. 

11.  When  a  derivative  word  ends  in  /,  the 
/  is  carried  over  when  the  accent  changes: 
e.g.,  instinc-tive  (instinct);  but  not  otherwise: 
e.g.,  construct-ive  (construct). 

12.  More  than  two  divisions  in.  successive 
lines  should  be  avoided. 

13.  A  division  at  the  end  of  the  last  full 
line  of  a  paragraph  should  be  avoided. 

14.  A  word  of  four  letters  is  not  divisible. 
Dividing  words  of  five  or  six  letters  should 
be  avoided  if  possible. 


54     THE   WRITER'S   DESK   BOOK 

15.  An  amount  that  is  stated  in  figures 
should  not  be  divided. 

16.  A  word  in  the  past  tense,  pronounced 
as  one  syllable,  should  not  be  divided:  e.g., 
beamed. 

17.  The  separation  of  two  initials  of  a 
person's  name,  or  such  combination  as  B.C., 
a.m.,  should  be  avoided. 

18.  A  divided  word  that  will  appear  on  the 
last  line  of  one  page  and  the  top  line  of  the 
next  page  is  to  be  avoided. 

19.  Separating  a  divisional  mark  (a)  or  (b) 
from  the  matter  to  which  it  pertains  should 
be  avoided. 

20.  Adjectives  ending  in  -ical  should  be 
divided  upon  the  i:  e.g.,  musi-cal,  not  music- 
al or  musical. 

21.  Word  endings  -tion,  -sion,  -tial,  -cial, 
-tive,  etc.,  are  treated  as  one  syllable. 

22.  In  compound  words  additional  hyphens 
should  be  avoided:  e.g.,  music-lesson,  not 
music-les-son. 

Keep  prefixes,  roots,  suffixes,  etc.,  as  distinct 
as  possible. 

Note.  Division  of  words  in  French,  Italian,  German, 
and  Spanish,  may  be  found  in  De  Vinne's  "Correct 
Composition,"  pp.  434-446. 


INDENTION  AND  PARAGRAPHING 


I 


N  prose  manuscript,  each  paragraph  should 
be  written  with  regular  indention. 

2.  When  paragraphs  are  numbered,  the 
figure  should  be  written  where  the  capital 
letter  of  the  first  word  would  otherwise  be 
placed. 

3.  In  poetry,  lines  which  overrun  should 
be  written  with  reverse  indention. 

4.  When  poetry  is  quoted  in  a  prose  com- 
position, it  should  begin  on  a  new  line.  If 
the  continuation  of  the  prose  writing  does 
not  call  for  a  new  paragraph,  the  next  line 
of  prose  text  begins  without  indention. 

5.  When  a  prose  quotation, is  introduced, 
it  should  be  treated  as  in  Rule  4  if  it  contains 
more  than  a  single  sentence;  otherwise  it  is 
"run  in,"  with  the  proper  quotation-marks 
and  punctuation. 

6.  There  are  different  forms  of  indention  in 
typography  which  are  used  for  different  pur- 
poses, viz.: 

Irregular  indention. —  For  this  form  of 
indention  there  are  no  specified  rules,  and  it 
is  used  principally  in  certain  styles  of  poetry 
and  in  display  work. 

55 


i6     THE   WRITER'S   DESK   BOOK 

En  echelon  indention  is  largely  used  for 
display  in  posters  and  advertisements.  It 
consists  in  the  diagonal  arrangement  of 
words,  thus: 

CARPETS 

CHAIRS 

TABLES 

STOVES 

Hanging  indention,  which  makes  the  first 
line  of  full  width  and  indents  all  the  follow- 
ing lines  one  or  more  ems  on  the  left,  as 
shown  in  these  four  lines. 

Half-diamond  indention  was  used  largely  by 
early  printers,  particularly  by  Aldus,   not 
only  for  title-pages,  but  also  for  chap- 
ter endings.     It  consists  in 
arranging    all    lines 
right  and  left 
thus 

Lozenge  indention  requires  an  arrange- 
ment of  the  lines  in  this  manner: 

IT     IS     ALWAYS     A 

TROUBLESOME       THING 

TO    ACCOMPLISH    AS    IT    TAKES 

MUCH    EXPERIMENTING 

TO    GAIN    RESULTS 

BLOCKED  INDENTION  CALLS  FOR 
AN  ARRANGEMENT  OF  THE  WORDS 
IN  SUCH  A  MANNER  THAT  THE 
LINES    ARE    ALL    OF    EQUAL    LENGTH 


INDENTION  57 

PARAGRAPHING 

Indention  and  Display  are  the  methods 
employed  in  typography  to  secure  clearness 
and  to  add  distinction  to  the  printed  page, 
but  clearness  in  the  body  of  the  text  is  de- 
pendent upon  the  skill  of  the  writer  in 
properly  dividing  his  composition  into  para- 
graphs. Just  as  correct  punctuation  assists 
the  reader  in  his  understanding  of  a  sentence, 
so  does  correct  paragraphing  add  to  the 
understanding  of  the  composition  as  a  whole. 
The  following  rules  may  be  formulated,  based 
upon  the  practice  of  the  most  careful  writers: 

i.  A  sentence  which  continues  the  topic 
of  the  sentence  which  precedes  it  rather  than 
introduces  a  new  topic  should  never  begin 
a  paragraph. 

2.  Each  paragraph  should  possess  a  single 
central  topic,  to  which  all  the  statements  in 
the  paragraph  should  relate.  The  introduc- 
tion of  a  single  statement  not  so  related  to 
the  central  topic  violates  the  unity. 

3.  A  sentence  or  short  passage  may  be 
detached  from  the  paragraph  to  which  it 
properly  belongs  if  the  writer  wishes  particu- 
larly to  emphasize  it. 

4.  For  ease  in  reading,  a  passage  which 
exceeds  three  hundred  words  in  length  may 
be  broken  into  two  paragraphs,  even  though 
no  new  topic  has  been  developed. 

5.  Any  digression  from  the  central  topic, 
or    any    change    in    the    viewpoint    in    con- 


58     THE   WRITER'S   DESK   BOOK 

sideririg  the   central   topic,    demands   a   new 
paragraph. 

6.  Coherence  in  a  paragraph  requires  a 
natural  and  logical  order  of  development. 

7.  Smoothness  of  diction  in  a  paragraph 
calls  for  the  intelligent  use  of  proper  con- 
nective words  between  closely  related  sen- 
tences. A  common  fault,  however,  is  the 
incorrect  use  of  such  words  as  and  or  but 
between  sentences  which  are  not  closely 
related. 

8.  In  developing  the  paragraph,  emphasis 
is  secured  by  a  careful  consideration  of  the 
relative  values  of  the  ideas  expressed,  giving 
to  each  idea  space  proportionate  to  its  im- 
portance to  the  whole.  This  secures  the 
proper  climax. 

9.  The  paragraph,  like  the  composition 
itself,  should  possess  clearness,  unity,  co- 
herence, and  emphasis.  It  is  a  group  of 
related  sentences,  developing  a  central  topic. 
Its  length  depends  upon  the  length  of  the 
composition  and  upon  the  number  of  topics 
to  be  discussed. 


SPACING 

JLjACH     line     should     be     spaced     evenly 
throughout. 

2.  The  spaces  in  a  line  should  never  vary 
more  than  the  difference  between  a  three  to 
em  space  and  an  en  quad.1 

3.  Uniformity  in  appearance  shows  excel- 
lence in  printing.  To  have  one  line  thin- 
spaced  and  the  next  wide-spaced  is  in  bad 
taste.  Even  in  narrow  measure  this  inequal- 
ity can  be  avoided  with  proper  care. 

4.  In  fonts  of  type  where  ends  of  hyphens 
and  dashes  touch  the  adjoining  letters,  hair- 
spaces  should  be  used.  Also  use  hair-spaces 
before  colons,  semicolons,  interrogation- 
points,  exclamation-marks,  and  inside  quo- 
tation-marks. 

5.  No  space  should  be  left  between  supe- 
rior letters,  or  letters  indicating  powers,  and 
inferior  figures  or  letters;  or  between  letters 
forming  products. 

6.  No  space  should  be  left  between  the 
abbreviations  a.d.  and  B.C.,  a.m.  and  p.m., 
between  titles,  such  as  LL.D.,  Ph.D.,  etc.,  or 
between    the   abbreviations   of    States,    such 

1  See  page  60. 

59 


60     THE   WRITER'S   DESK   BOOK 

as  N.Y.,  R.I.y  N.H.,  etc.,  except  in  a  wide- 
spaced  line. 

7.  Scripture  references  should  be  spaced  as 
follows:   II  Sam.  1:2-6;  2:8-12. 

8.  No  space  should  be  left  between  the 
symbols  $  and  £  and  the  succeeding  figures. 

9.  An  indention  of  one  or  more  ems  should 
be  allowed  at  the  end  of  the  last  line  of  a 
paragraph. 

10.  The  same  space  should  be  left  on  each 
side  of  short  words,  such  as  a,  an,  etc. 

11.  It  is  poor  typography  to  thin-space  or 
wide-space  a  line  in  order  to  avoid  a  turn- 
over. 

12.  Beginning  and  ending  a  line  with  the 
same  word  in  wide  measure  should  be 
avoided,  but  not  at  the  expense  of  good 
spacing. 

13.  The  kerned  letters  /  and  j  require  a 
hair-space  before  them  when  they  begin  a 
line.  When  kerned  letters  end  a  line  a  hair- 
space  is  necessary  after  them  to  prevent 
breaking  off  in  printing. 

14.  Should  wide  spacing  be  necessary,  it 
should  occur  where  it  will  be  least  noticed; 
viz.,  between  words  ending  or  beginning  with 
tall  letters. 

15.  This  is  an  en  dash:  - 
This  is  an  em  dash:  — 

This  is  a  2  em  dash: 

This  is  a  3  em  dash: 


SPACING  6l 

16.    This  line  is  hair-spaced. 

This  line  is  spaced  with  5-em  spaces. 

This  line  is  spaced  with  4-em  spaces. 

This  line  is  spaced  with  3-em  spaces. 

This  line  is  spaced  with  en  quads. 
This     line     is     spaced     with     em     quads. 


ITALIC 


T 


HE  first  italic  types  were  designed  and 
used  by  Aldus  Manutius,  the  celebrated 
Italian  printer,  of  the  fifteenth  century.  It 
is  said  that  the  style  was  suggested  by  the 
handwriting  of  Petrarch.  In  the  first  fonts 
only  the  lower  case  letters  were  italic,  the 
capitals  being  roman;  but  this  irregularity 
soon  gave  way  to  the  more  regular  style  of 
italic  capitals  and  lower  case. 

i.  Italic  is  not  used  for  the  text  of  a  book, 
but  it  is  permissible  for  the  preface,  extracts, 
etc. 

2.  For  poetry  and  other  matter  of  a  literary 
character  italic  has  a  decorative  effect. 

3.  Italic  is  used  for  emphasis  in  roman 
composition  and  vice  versa. 

4.  Italic  is  used  frequently  for  subheads, 
running-heads,  and  side-heads,  as  well  as  for 
important  paragraphs  or  extracts. 

5.  Italic  is  often  used  instead  of  roman- 
quoted  for  the  titles  of  books,  magazines, 
newspapers,  and  names  of  ships. 

6.  Signatures  or  credits  are  often  placed 
in  italic  at  the  end  of  an  article. 

7.  Foreign  words  and  phrases  are .  often 
required  to  be  set  in  italic,  but  there  are  many 
which  are  now  so  familiar  to  English  readers 

62 


ITALIC 

that  they  are 

kept  in  the 

ordinary  text.     r. 

following  is  a 

list  of  the  most  familiar  wor 

a  propos 

data 

ollapodrida 

ad  valorem 

d6bris 

onus 

addenda 

d6but 

paterfamilias 

aide-de-camp 

depot 

patois 

alias 

diarrhoea 

per  annum 

alibi 

diatum 

per  capita 

alma  mater 

dilettante 

per  cent. 

anno  domini 

dramatis  personam 

per  centum 

ante-bellum 

ennui 

per  se 

beau  ideal 

entrep6t 

post-mortem 

billet-doux 

erratum 

pro  rata 

bon-ton 

et  cetera 

proteg6 

bona  fide 

facsimile 

quondam 

bravo 

fete 

regime 

cafe 

finis 

rendezvous 

canto 

gratis 

r61e 

carte  blanche 

hoi  polloi 

savant 

chapeau 

imprimatur 

seraglio 

chaperon 

innuendo 

sobriquet 

charge"  d'affaires 

literati 

ultimatum 

chiaroscuro 

mandamus 

verbatim 

cicerone 

manoeuvre 

vice 

contra 

mignonette 

vice  versa 

corrigenda 

naive 

viva  voce 

63 


The 


8.    The  following  expressions,  which  are  not 
as  a  rule  so  well  known,  should  be  italicized: 


ab  ovo 

ancien  regime 
bete  noire 
comme  il  faut 
de  qnoi  vivre 
de  trop 
en  passant 
fait  accompli 
grand  monde 


hors  de  combat 
inter  alia 
jeu  d' esprit 
locum  tenens 
mise  en  scene 
noblesse  oblige 
raison  d'itre 
sans  ceremonie 
tour  de  force 


64     THE    WRITER^S    DESK    BOOK 

9.  Italic  is  used  in  the  following  words, 
phrases,  and  abbreviations  employed  in  liter- 
ary and  legal  references:  e.g.,  ibid,  idem,  loc. 
cit.j  op.  ciL,  ad  loc,  s.v.,  supra,  infra,  passim, 
vide,  circa  (ca.).  Exceptions:  cf.,  i.e.,  e.g.,  v. 
(versus),  viz.,  etc.,  which  are  always  roman. 

10.  Punctuation  marks  which  are  placed  after 
italicized  words  should  be  italic. 

Italic  is  used : 

1.  For  the  names  of  plaintiff  and  de- 
fendant in  the  citation  of  legal  causes. 

2.  In  algebraic,  geometric,  and  similar 
matter  to  designate  unknown  quantities, 
lines,  etc. 

3.  For  s.  and  d.  {shilling  and  pence)  fol- 
lowing the  figures:   e.g.,  is.  6d. 

4.  For  specific  names  in  Botany,  Zoology, 
and  Geology. 

5.  In  medical  matter  roman  is  used  in- 
stead of  italic  for  scientific  terms. 

6.  For  names  of  stars  or  constellations  in 
astronomical  matter. 

7.  In  resolutions  for  the  word  Resolved. 

In  MS.  one  line  drawn  beneath  a  word  or 
sentence  signifies  that  it  is  to  be  put  in  italic. 


D 


ABBREVIATIONS 

DATES 


ATES  are  not  usually  abbreviated  in  writ- 
ing or  in  regular  text  matter;  but  when  necessary 
the  following  rules  may  be  followed: 

i.  Do  not  use  st,  d,  rd,  or  th  after  a  date  given 
in  figures;  e.g.,  June  3,  not  June  3d  or 
3rd.  If  a  date  is  spelled  out,  the  rule  is 
as  follows:   e.g.,  June  the  third,  not  June  three. 

2.  Do  not  use  ult.,  inst.,  or  prox.,  but 
always  name  the  month:  e.g.,  Oct.  25,  not 
25th  ult.,    Nov.  10,  not  10th  inst. 

3.  Use  generally  accepted  abbreviations 
for  the  names  of  months  when  the  day  of  the 
month  is  also  given,  and  prefer  dates  in  order 
of  day,  month,  and  year:  e.g.,  7  Jan.,  igi2. 
When  the  name  of  the  month  is  used  alone 
or  followed  only  by  the  year,  do  not  abbre- 
viate:  e.g.,  February,  IQ12,  not  Feb.,  IQ12. 

4.  For  ordinary  purposes  use  these  as  the 
generally  accepted  abbreviations  for  the 
months   and  days   of   the   week: 


Jan. 

May- 

Sept. 

Sun. 

Thurs. 

Feb. 

June 

Oct. 

Mon. 

Fri. 

Mar. 

July 

Nov. 

Tues. 

Sat. 

Apr. 

Aug. 

Dec. 

Wed. 

5.    In    tables    and    wherever  matter  must 
be  greatly  condensed   use  the  Dewey  dates, 

65 


s 


66     THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

which  are  the  briefest  possible  without 
ambiguity,  in  the  order  of  (a)  day  of  week, 
(b)  day  of  month,  (c)  month,  (d)  year.  These 
abbreviations  are  not  desirable  except  in  tabular 
matter. 


Ja. 

Ap. 

Ju. 

0. 

Sn. 

Th. 

F. 

My. 

Ag. 

N. 

M. 

F. 

Mr. 

Je. 

S. 

D. 

Tu. 
W. 

St. 

PROPER   NAMES 

i.  Abbreviate  company  in  firm  names: 
e.g.,  John  Brown  &  Co. 

2.  Spell  out  names  of  companies,  rail- 
roads, etc.,  using  the  ampersand  (&)  only 
between  proper  names:  e.g.,  Brown  &  Sharpe 
Manufacturing  Company;  Norfolk  6s  West- 
ern Railroad;  but  American  Smelting  and 
Refining  Company.  If  names  of  railroads 
are  abbreviated,  use  no  space  between  the 
letters:   e.g.,  N.Y.,  N.H.  &  H.R.R. 

3.  Abbreviate  United  States  when  im- 
mediately associated  with  the  name  of  an 
officer  of  the  army  or  navy,  as  Lieut.  John 
Doe,  U.S.A.;  when  it  is  the  name  of  an 
organization  of  the  army  or  navy,  as  First 
Regiment  U.S.V.;  when  preceding  the  name 
of  a  government  vessel,  as    U.S.S.    Brooklyn. 

4.  In  referring  to  plays,  specify  act, 
scene,  and  line,  also  part  if  necessary:  e.g., 
2   Henry  I V,  I,  ii,  1-7. 

5.  Christian  names  should  be  spelled  in 
full,   as  John,  George,  Charles,  except  in  an 


ABBREVIATIONS  67 

original    signature,    or    when   following   copy 
in  a  quotation. 

6.  When  necessary  to  abbreviate  Chris- 
tian names,  use  the  forms  Dan.,  Edw.,  Sam., 
Thos.y  etc.  Alex,  Ben,  Ed,  and  Sam  are  not 
always  abbreviations,  and  copy  should  be 
followed  as  regards  period.  Use  the  follow- 
ing list: 

Alex .  Alexander 

And Andrew 

Anth Anthony 

Ap Appius 

Arch Archibald 

Aug August,  Augustus 

Benj Benjamin 

C Caesar 

Caes.  Aug Caesar  Augustus 

Cath Catherine 

Chas Charles 

Dan Daniel 

Eben Ebenezer 

Edm Edmund 

Edw Edward 

Eliz Elizabeth 

Esd Esdras 

Esth Esther 

Ez Ezra 

Ezek Ezekiel 

Ferd.    .  Ferdinand 

Fran Francis 

Fred Frederic,  Frederick 

Geo George 

Herbt Herbert 

Hos Hosea 


68     THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

Jas James 

Jona Jonathan 

Jos Joseph 

Josh Joshua 

Matt Matthew 

Nath Nathaniel 

Pet Peter 

Phil Philip,  Philander 

Philem Philemon 

Reg Reginald 

Richd Richard 

Robt Robert 

Sam Samuel 

Theo Theodore 

Thos Thomas 

Tim Timothy 

Wm William 

TITLES 

i.  In  ordinary  body  matter  use  generally 
accepted  abbreviations  of  titles  when  they 
are  immediately  prefixed  to  names. 

2.  Do  not  abbreviate  a  title  used  as  part 
of  a  name:  e.g.,  Bishop  Lawrence,  not  Bp. 
Lawrence. 

3.  Such  titles  as  Mr.,  Mrs.,  Messrs.,  Gen., 
Dr.,  Hon.,  Rev.,  when  prefixed  to  names, 
may  be  abbreviated;  but  Colonel,  Major, 
Professor,  President,  ex- President,  etc.,  are 
better  spelled  in  full.  Compound  titles,  such 
as  Major -General,  Lieutenant-Colonel,  Rear- 
Admiral,  etc.,  should  also  be  spelled  and  both 


ABBREVIATIONS  69 

words  capitalized.  Where  a  person  has  been 
mentioned  by  name  and  title,  and  is  after- 
ward mentioned  by  title  only,  the  title  should 
be  capitalized.  Where  initials  of  a  name  are 
used,  abbreviate  the  title:  e.g.,  Col.  T.  G. 
Benson,  of  the  Second  Illinois  Regiment,  has 
returned  from  Havana.  The  ColoneVs  friends 
gave  him  a  warm  reception. 

4.  When  the  names  of  sovereigns  of  a 
country  are  mentioned  only  occasionally, 
such  names  may  be  given  in  full:  e.g.,  George 
the  Fifth,  Charles  the  First.  When  such 
names  occur  frequently,  they  may  be  printed 
with  roman  numerals  without  a  period:  e.g., 
George  V,  Charles  I 

5.  The  following  is  a  full  list  of  the  usual 
abbreviations: 

A.B.  or  B.A.  .  (Artium  Baccalaureus)  Bachelor  of  Arts 

Abp.   .      .      .  Archbishop 

A.C.    .      .      .  Archchancellor 

A.D.   .      .      .  Archduke 

A.D.C.     .      .  Aide-de-camp 

Adjt.  .      .      .  Adjutant 

Adm.  .      .      .  Admiral] 

Admr.      .      .  Administrator 

Admx.,  Admrx.  Administratrix 

Adv.  .     .     .  Advocate 

Agt.    .      .      .  Agent 

Aldm.       .      .  Alderman 

A.M.  or  M.A.  {Artium  M agister)  Master  of  Arts 

Amb.  .      .      .  Ambassador 

A.PA.      .  '  .  American  Protective  Association 

Asst.  .      .      .  Assistant 

A.T.    .      .      .  Arch  treasurer 

Atty.  .      .      .  Attorney 


70     THE    WRITER     S    DESK    BOOK 

B.A.  or  A.B.  .     Bachelor  of  Arts 

Bart.  . 

.     Baronet 

B.C.L. 

.     Bachelor  of  Civil  Law 

B.D.  . 

(Baccalaureus    Divinitatis)     Bachelor    of 

Divinity 

B.LL.. 

{Baccalaureus  Legum)  Bachelor  of  Laws 

B.M.  . 

{Baccalaureus     Medicinae)     Bachelor    of 

Medicine 

Bp.     . 

.     Bishop 

B.R.    . 

.     {Banco  Regis  or  Reginae)   the  King's  or 

Queen's  Bench 

Brig.-Gen 

.     Brigadier-General 

Bro(s). 

.     Brother  (s) 

B.S.    . 

.     Bachelor  of  Science  or  Bachelor  of  Surgery 

B.V.    . 

{Beata  Virgo)  Blessed  Virgin 

Cantab.   . 

{Cantabrigia)  Cambridge 

Capt. 

Captain 

Capt.-Ger 

l.    .     Captain- General 

Cash. 

Cashier 

C.B.    . 

.     Companion  of  the  Bath 

C.C.P. 

Court  of  Common  Pleas 

C.E.   . 

Civil  Engineer 

C.J.    . 

Chief  Justice 

C.M.G. 

.     Companion  of  the  Order  of  St.  Michael 

and  St.  George 

Col.    . 

Colonel 

Com.  . 

Commander,  Commodore 

Cor.  Sec. 

Corresponding  Secretary 

Corp. 

Corporal 

C.S.    . 

Court  of  Sessions 

C.S.    . 

{Custos  Sigilli)  Keeper  of  the  Seal 

D.C.L. 

Doctor  of  Civil  Law 

D.D.  . 

Doctor  of  Divinity 

D.D.S. 

.     Doctor  of  Dental  Surgery 

Dea.    . 

Deacon                                       » 

Dep.   . 

Deputy 

D.F. 

.     Defender  of  the  Faith 

D.M.  , 

.     Doctor  of  Music 

ABBREVIATIONS 


71 


Dr.      .      . 

.     Doctor 

D.Sc. 

Doctor  of  Science 

D.T.   .      . 

{Doctor  Theologiae)  Doctor  of  Divinity 

D.V.M.  o: 

r          Doctor  of  Veterinary  Medicine 

M.D.V. 

E.       .      . 

.     {after  titles)  Edinburgh 

Esq.    . 

.     Esquire 

F.D.   .      . 

.     {Fidei  Defensor)  Defender  of  the  Faith 

F.G.S.      . 

.     Fellow  of  the  Geological  Society 

Fr.      .      . 

.     Father 

F.R.G.S. 

.     Fellow  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society 

F.R.S.      . 

.     Fellow  of  the  Royal  Society 

F.R.S.A.  . 

.     Fellow  of  the  Royal  Society  of  Arts 

F.S.A.      . 

.     Fellow  of  the  Society  of  Arts 

G.C.B.     . 

Knight  of  the  Grand  Cross  of  the  Bath 

G.C.H.     . 

.     Knight  of  the  Grand  Cross  of  Hanover 

G.C.M.G. 

.     Knight  of  the  Grand  Cross,  Order  of  St. 

Michael  and  St.  George 

Gen.   . 

General 

Gov.   .      , 

Governor 

Govt. 

Government 

G.R.  .     , 

{Georgius  Rex)  King  George 

H.B.M. 

.     His  or  Her  Britannic  Majesty 

H.M.  . 

.     His  or  Her  Majesty 

H.M.S. 

.     His  or  Her  Majesty's  Service 

Hon.  . 

.     Honorable 

H.R.  . 

.     House  of  Representatives 

H.R.E. 

.     Holy  Roman  Emperor 

H.R.H. 

.     His  or  Her  Royal  Highness 

H.S.H. 

.     His  or  Her  Serene  Highness 

I.N.R.I.  . 

{Jesus  Nazarenus  Rex  Judaeorum)  Jesus  of 

Nazareth,  King  of  the  Jews 

Insp.  . 

Inspector 

Insp.  Gen 

.     .     Inspector  General 

I.O.O.F. 

.     Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 

72     THE    WRITERS    DESK    BOOK 


J.A.    . 

J.P.     . 
J.  Prob. 
Jr.  or  Jun 

K.  . 
K.A.  . 
K.A.N. 
K.B.  . 
K.B.A. 
K.B.E. 
K.C.  . 

K.C.B. 
K.C.H. 
K.C.M.G 

K.C.S. 
K.E.  . 
K.F.  . 
K.F.M. 


K.G.  . 

K.G.C. 

K.G.C.B 

K.G.F. 

K.G.H. 

K.G.V. 

K.H.  . 

K.J.     . 

K.L.H. 

K.M.  . 

K.  Mess. 

K.M.H. 

K.M.J. 

K.M.T. 

K.N.S. 

K.P.   . 


Judge-Advocate 
Justice  of  the  Peace 
Judge  of  the  Probate 
Junior 

King 

Knight  of  St.  Andrew,  in  Russia 
Knight  of  Alexander  Newski,  in  Russia 
King's  Bench;   Knight  of  the  Bath 
Knight  of  St.  Bento  d'Avis,  in  Portugal 
Knight  of  the  Black  Eagle,  in  Prussia 
King's  Council;  Knight  of  the  Crescent, 

in  Turkey 
Knight  Commander  of  the  Bath 
Knight  Commander  of  Hanover 
Knight  Commander  of  Order  of  St.  Michael 

and  St.  George 
Knight  of  Charles  III,  in  Spain 
Knight  of  the  Elephant,  in  Denmark 
Knight  of  Ferdinand  of  Spain 
Knight    of    Ferdinand    and    Merit,     in 

Sicily 
Knight  of  the  Garter 
Knight  of  the  Grand  Cross 
Knight  of  the  Grand  Cross  of  the  Bath 
Knight  of  the  Golden  Fleece 
Knight  of  the  Guelph  of  Hanover 
Knight  of  Gustavus  Vasa  of  Sweden 
Knight  of  Hanover 
Knight  of  St.  Joachim 
Knight  of  the  Legion  of  Honor 
Knight  of  Malta 
King's  Messenger 
Knight  of  Merit,  in  Holstein 
Knight  of  Maximilian  Joseph  of  Bavaria 
Knight  of  Maria  Theresa  of  Austria 
Knight    of    the    Royal    North   Star,    in 

Sweden 
Knight  of  St.  Patrick 


ABBREVIATIONS 


73 


K.R.E. 

K.S.    . 

K.S.A. 

K.S.E. 

K.S.F. 

K.S.F.M. 

K.S.G. 

K.S.H. 

K.SJ. 

K.S.L. 

K.S.M.&S.G. 

K.S.P. 
K.S.S. 

K.S.W. 
Kt.  . 
K.T.  . 
K.T.S. 

K.W.  . 
K.W.E. 

L.  . 
L.C.  . 
L.CJ. 

Leg.    . 
Legis. 
Lieut. . 
Lieut.-Col. 
Lieut. -Gen. 
Litt.D. 
LL.B.. 
LL.D. 

M.  . 
M.A.  . 
Maj.  . 
Maj.-Gen. 


Knight  of  the  Red  Eagle,  in  Prussia 
Knight  of  the  Sword,  in  Sweden 
Knight  of  St.  Anne  of  Russia 
Knight  of  St.  Esprit,  in  France 
Knight  of  St.  Fernando  of  Spain 
Knight  of  St.  Ferdinand  and  Merit,  in 

Naples 
Knight  of  St.  George  of  Russia 
Knight  of  St.  Hubert  of  Bavaria 
Knight  of  St.  Janarius  of  Naples 
Knight  of  the  Sun  and  Lion,  in  Persia 
Knight  of  St.  Michael  and  St.  George  of 

the  Ionian  Isles 
Knight  of  St.  Stanislaus  of  Poland 
Knight  of  the  Southern  Star  of  the  Brazils; 

Knight  of  the  Sword,  in  Sweden 
Knight  of  St.  Wladimir  of  Russia 
Knight 

Knight  of  the  Thistle 
Knight    of    the   Tower   and    Sword,    in 

Portugal 
Knight  of  William  of  the  Netherlands 
Knight  of  the  White  Eagle,  in  Poland 

(after  titles)  London 

Lord  Chancellor 

Lord  Chief  Justice 

Legate 

Legislature 

Lieutenant 

Li  eutenant-  Colonel 

Lieutenant-General 

(Litterarum  Doctor)  Doctor  of  Literature 

(Legum  Baccalaureus)  Bachelor  of  Laws 

(Legum  Doctor)  Doctor  of  Laws 

Monsieur 
Master  of  Arts 
Major 
Major-Genera! 


74     THE    WRITER     S    DESK    BOOK 


M.B.  .      .  .  (Medicinae  Baccalaureus)  Bachelor  of 
Medicine;     (Musicae   Baccalaureus) 
#    Bachelor  of  Music 

M.C.  .      .  .  Member  of  Congress 

M.D.  .      .  .  (Medicinae  Doctor)  Doctor  of  Medicine 

Messrs.     .  .  Messieurs 

Mgr.  .      .  .  Manager;  Monsignor 

Min.  Plen.  .  Minister  Plenipotentiary 

Mile.  .      .  .  Mademoiselle 

Mme.       .  .  Madame 

M.P.  .      .  .  Member  of  Parliament 

M.R.  .      .  .  Master  of  the  Rolls 

Mr.     .      .  .  Mister  or  Master 

Mrs.   .      .  .  Mistress 

Mus.  Doc.  .  Doctor  of  Music 

Oxon.       .  .  (Qxonensis)  Oxford 

P.C.    .      .  .  (Patres    Conscripti)     Conscript    Fathers; 

Senators;   Privy  Counsellor 

Ph.D..      .  .  Doctor  of  Philosophy 

Ph.G.       .  .  Graduate  in  Pharmacy 

P.M.  .      .  .  Postmaster 

P.M.G.    .  .  Postmaster- General 

P.R.A.      .  .  President  of  the  Royal  Academy 

Pres.  .      .  .  President 

Prof.  .      .  .  Professor 

Prov.  .      .  .  Provost 

P.R.S.      .  .  President  of  the  Royal  Society 

Q.       ...  Queen 

Q.M.  .      .  .  Quartermaster 

R.A.   .      .  .  Royal  Academician 

R.E.    .      .  .  Royal  Engineers 

Reg.  Prof.  .  Regius  Professor 

Rev.   .      .  .  Reverend 

R.M.  .      .  .  Royal  Marines 

R.N.  .      .  .  Royal  Navy 

R.N.O.     .  .  (Riddare  af  Nordstjerneorden)  Knight  of 
the  Order  of  Polar  Star 


ABBREVIATIONS 


75 


R.S.S.      . 

(Regiae  Societatis  Socius)    Fellow  of   the 

Royal  Society 

Rt.  Hon.  . 

.     Right  Honorable 

Rt.  Rev.  . 

.     Right  Reverend 

Rt.  Wpful 

.     .     Right  Worshipful 

R.W.  .      . 

.     Right  Worthy 

R.W.O.    . 

(Riddare  af  Wasa  Orden)  Knight  of  the 

Order  of  Wasa 

Sec.     . 

.     Secretary 

Sec.  Leg. 

.     Secretary  of  Legation 

Serg.  .      . 

Sergeant 

Serg.-Maj 

.     .     Sergeant-Major 

SJ.     .      . 

.     Society  of  Jesus 

SJ.C.       , 

.     Supreme  Judicial  Court 

Sol.     .     . 

.     Solicitor 

Sol.-Gen. 

.     Solicitor-General 

Sr.,  Sen. 

.     Senior 

S.R.S.      . 

(Societatis   Regiae   Socius)  Fellow  of   the 

Royal  Society 

S.T.D.      . 

(Sacrae  Theologiae  Doctor)  Doctor  of  Di- 

vinity 

S.T.P. 

(Sacrae  Theologiae  Professor)  Professor  of 

Divinity 

St.      .     . 

.     Saint,  Street 

Supt.  . 

.     Superintendent 

Tr(s). 

.     Trustee  (s) 

Treas. 

.     Treasurer 

U.J.C. 

.     (Utriusque  Juris  Doctor)  Doctor  of  both 

Laws 

v.c.  . 

.     Vice-Chancellor 

V.D.M. 

.     (Verbi    Dei   Minister)    Preacher    of    the 

Word 

Vice-Pres. 

.     Vice-President 

Vise.   . 

.     Viscount 

w.s. 


Writer  to  the  Signet 


76      THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

6.   COMMERCIAL  ABBREVIATIONS 

A  i       ....  Highest  class  or  grade 

Acct Account 

Advt.,  Ad.     .      .  Advertisement 

Agt Agent 

Amt Amount 

Anon  ....  Anonymous 

Ans Answer 

Art Article 

Av.,  Ave.,     .     .  Avenue 

Bal Balance 

Bd Bound 

Bdl Bundle 

Bds Boards 

Bldg Building 

B.O Buyer's  Option 

Bro(s).     .     .     .  Brother;  Brothers 

Chap.       .      .      .  Chapter 

C.I.F.       .     .     .  Cost,  insurance,  freight 

Co Company 

C.O.D.     .      .      .  Cash  on  Delivery 

Cr Creditor 

Dept.       .      .      .  Department 

Do Ditto,  the  same 

Dr Debtor 

E.E Errors  excepted 

E.O.D.     .      .      .  Every  other  day 

E.  &  O.E.      .      .  Errors  and  omissions  excepted 

Etc.    ....  (Et  cetera)  and  so  forth 

Ex.,  Exch.     .      .  Exchange 

Exp Express 

Fgt Freight 

F.O.B.      .     .     .  Free  on  board 

H Hour 

H.P Half  pay,  horse-power 


ABBREVIATIONS  77 

Incor.       .      .      .  Incorporated 

Ins Insurance 

K.D Knock  down  (of  furniture,  etc.) 

L.P Large  paper 

Memo.     .      .      .  Memorandum 

Mfg Manufacturing 

Mfr.    .      .      .      .  Manufacturer 

Min Minute 

No (numero)  number 

O.K All  right 

Payt Payment 

Pd Paid 

Per  an.     .      .      .  (Per  annum)  by  the  year 

Per  cent.        .      .  (Per  centum)  by  the  hundred 

Pkg Package 

PI Plate,  plates 

Pref Preface 

Rd Road 

Rem Remarks 

Rep Reports 

R.R Railroad 

Ry Railway 

Ser Series 

Sq Square 

S.S Steamship,  steamer 

T.F Till  forbidden 

7.   GEOGRAPHICAL  ABBREVIATIONS 


Ala.    .     . 

.     Alabama 

Alaska 

Alaska 

Ark.    .      . 

Austral.   . 

.     Australasia 

78      THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

B.A British  America 

Br.  Col.    .      .      .  British  Columbia 

Cal.     ....  California 

Can Canada 

C.B Cape  Breton 

Colo Colorado 

Conn.       .      .      .  Connecticut 

C.W Canada  West  (Ontario) 

D.C District  of  Columbia 

Del Delaware 

Den Denmark 

E East  (London  Postal  District) 

East  Isl.  .      .      .  Eastern  Islands 

E.C East  Central  (London  Postal  District) 

E.I East  Indies 

Eng England,  English 

Fin Finland 

Fla Florida 

Ga Georgia 

G.B Great  Britain 

Glas Glasgow 

H.I Hawaiian  Islands 

la Iowa 

Idaho       .      .      .  Idaho 

111 Illinois 

Ind Indiana 

Ind.  Ter.        .      .  Indian  Territory  (now  Oklahoma) 

Ire Ireland 

It Italy 

Jam Jamaica 

Jap Japan 

Kan.  .  Kansas 

Ky Kentucky 

La Louisiana 

L.C Lower  Canada 


ABBREVIATIONS 


79 


Man.  .     . 

.      . 

Mass. 

.      . 

Md.    .      . 

Me.     .      . 

Mex.  .      . 

.      . 

Mich. 

.      . 

Minn. 

.      . 

Miss.  . 

,      . 

Mo.    .      . 

Mont. 

• 

N.       .     . 

N.A.  .     . 

N.B.  .     . 

• 

N.C.  .     . 

N.  Dak.  . 

• 

N.E.  .     . 

• 

Neb.  .     . 

Neth. 

#            . 

Nev.  . 

N.F.   .     . 

#            9 

N.H.  .     . 

9           m 

NJ.    .      . 

•            • 

N.  Mex.  . 

,            . 

N.S.    .      . 

#            # 

N.W.  .     . 

N.Y.  .      . 

m           m 

N.Y.C.     . 

m           m 

N.  Zeal.   . 

• 

0.       .     . 

Okla.  .      . 

9           9 

Ont.    .      . 

Ore.    .      . 

Pa.      .      . 

Pal.     .      . 

P.D.   .      . 

Manitoba 

Massachusetts 

Maryland 

Maine 

Mexico 

Michigan 

Minnesota 

Mississippi 

Missouri 

Montana 

North  (London  Postal  District) 

North  America 

Nev/  Brunswick;  North  Britain 

(Scotland) 
North  Carolina 
North  Dakota 

New   England;    Northeast    (London 

Postal  District) 
Nebraska 
Netherlands 
Nevada 
Newfoundland 
New  Hampshire 
New  Jersey 
New  Mexico 
Nova  Scotia 

Northwest  (London  Postal  District) 
New  York 
New  York  City 
New  Zealand 

Ohio 

Oklahoma 
Ontario 
Oregon 

Pennsylvania 

Palestine 

Postal  District  (London) 


8o      THE   WRITER'S   DESK    BOOK 


P.E.I. 
Per. 

Phila. 
P.I. 
Port. 
P.R. 

Prus. 

Que. 

R.A. 
R.I. 

Russ. 

S.  . 

S.A. 

S.C. 

Scot. 
Sc.  Pen 
S.  Dak. 
S.  E.   . 
Sic. 
S.  Isl. 
Soc.  Isl 
S.  lat. 
Sp.      . 
Sw.     . 
Switz. 
Syr.    . 

Tenn. 
Tex. 

U.C. 
U.K. 

U.S. 
U.S.A 

Utah 

V. 

Va. 

Vt. 


Prince  Edward  Island 

Persia 

Philadelphia 

Philippine  Islands 

Portugal 

Porto  Rico 

Prussia 

Quebec 

Russian  America  (now  Alaska) 

Rhode  Island 

Russia 

South  (London  Postal  District) 

South  America 

South  Carolina 

Scotland 

Scandinavian  Peninsula 

South  Dakota 

Southeast  (London  Postal  District) 

Sicily 

Sandwich  Islands 

Society  Islands 

South  latitude 

Spain 

Sweden 

Switzerland 

Syria 

Tennessee 
Texas 

Upper  Canada  (Ontario) 

United  Kingdom 

United  States 

United  States  of  America 

Utah 

Victoria 
Virginia 
Vermont 


ABBREVIATIONS 


8l 


District) 

Wash. 

.     Washington 

W.C. 

.     West  Central  (London  Postal  District) 

W.I. 

.     West  Indies 

W.  Ion 

.     .      .      .     West  longitude 

W.Va 

.     West  Virginia 

Wis. 

.     Wisconsin 

Wyo. 

.     Wyoming 

8.   MISCELLANEOUS  ABBREVIATIONS 

A.C. 

(Ante  Christum)  before  Christ 

A.D. 

(Anno  Domini)  in  the  year  of  our  Lord 

Ad  lib. 

(Ad  libitum)  at  pleasure 

Adj. 

.     Adjective 

Adv. 

.     Adverb 

Aet. 

(Aetatis)  of  age,  aged 

A.H. 

(Anno  Hegirae)  in  the  year  of  theHegira 

Alt. 

.      .      .     Altitude 

A.M. 

(Anno  Mundi)  in  the  year  of  the  world; 

(Ante  Meridiem)  before  noon 

An. 

(Anno)  in  the  year 

An.  A. 

C.  .      .      .     (Anno  ante  Christum)  in  the  year  be- 

fore Christ 

Anat. 

.     Anatomy 

Anc. 

.     Ancient 

Ang.-S 

ax.       .      .     Anglo-Saxon 

Anom. 

Anomalous 

Anon. 

.     Anonymous 

Ap. 

.     Apostle 

Apo.   . 

.     Apogee 

Apoc. 

.     Apocalypse,  Apocrypha 

A.R.   . 

(Anno  regni)  in  the  year  of  the  reign 

Arch. 

Architecture 

A.R.R 

(Anno  regni  regis)  in  the  year  of  the 

reign  of  the  king 

Arr.     . 

.     Arrival 

Art.    . 

.     Article 

82      THE    WRITER     S    DESK    BOOK 


Assoc, 
Astrol. 
Astron. 
A.U.C. 


Auth.  Ver 

Av. 

Ave. 


Assn. 


B. 

B.C. 
Boul. 
B.V. 


C. 

Caet.  par 

Cap.   . 
C.  or  Cent 
Cf.      . 
Ck     . 
C.H.  . 
Chap. 
Circ.   . 
Cit.     . 
Col.    . 
Coll.   . 
Comp. 
Cong. 
C.Q.D. 

D.B.  . 
D.C.  . 
Dec.  . 
Deg.  . 
Del.  . 
Dem.  . 
D.G.  . 

D.V.  . 


orA.V. 


Association 

Astrology 

Astronomy 

{anno  urbis  conditae)  in  the  year  of  the 

building  of  the  city  (Rome) 
Authorized  Version  (of  the  Bible) 
Average 
Avenue 

(Basso)  Bass;  bay;  born 

Before  Christ 

Boulevard 

(Bene  Vale)  Farewell 

Cape 

(Caeteris  paribus)  other  things   being 

equal 
(Caput)  Chapter 
Centigrade 
(confer)  compare 
Child  or  children 
Court  House 
Chapter 
Circle  (s) 
Citizen 
Column 
College 

Companion;  comparative 
Congress 
Marconi  distress  signal 

Domesday  Book 

(Da  Capo)  From  the  beginning;  again 

Declination 

Degree  (s) 

(Delineavit)  he  drew  it 

Democrat 

(Dei  gratia)  by  the  grace  of  God;   (Deo 

gratias)  thanks  to  God 
(Deo  volente)  God  willing 


ABBREVIATIONS 


83 


E.       .     . 

East;   Eagle (s) 

Ea.     . 

Each 

E.B.    .      . 

English  Bible  (common) 

Ed.     .      . 

.     Editor,  Edition 

E.E.    .      . 

Errors  excepted 

E.g.    .      . 

{Exempli  gratia)  by  way  of  example 

Elec. 

.     Electricity 

E.N.E.     . 

East-northeast 

Ent.    .      . 

.     Entomology 

E.S.E.      . 

.     East-southeast 

Et  al. 

{Et  alibi)  and  elsewhere;   {et  alii)  and 

others 

Etc.    .      . 

{Et  caetera)  and  so  forth 

Et  seq. 

{Et  sequentia)  the  following 

Ex.      .      . 

Example 

Exc.    . 

.     Exception 

F.,  Fahr. 

.     Fahrenheit  (thermometer) 

Fee.    . 

{Fecit)  he  made  it 

Fern,  or  f. 

Feminine 

Fig.(s)      . 

.     Figure  (s) 

Finn.  . 

.     Finnish 

Fol.  or  f.,  ff. 

.      .     Folio(s) 

For.    . 

.     Foreign 

Ft.      .      .     . 

.     Fort 

Gent.        .      . 

.     Gentleman 

Ger.    . 

.     German 

Goth.        .      . 

.     Gothic 

Gr.      .     .     . 

.     Greek 

H.       .     . 

.     Husband 

Hdkf.       . 

.     Handkerchief 

H.e.    .      . 

{Hoc  est)  that  is,  or,  this  is 

Hist.  .      .      . 

.     History,  Historical 

H.J.S.      .     . 

{Hicjacet  sepultus)  here  lies  buried 

H.M.P.    .     . 

{Hoc  monumenium  posuit)  erected  this 

monument 

H.R.I.P.  .     . 

{Hie  requiescit  in  pace)  here  lies  in  peace 

H.S.    .     .     . 

{Hie  situs)  here  lies 

84      THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 


Ibid.,  lb 
Id.      . 
I.e.     . 
I.H.S. 


Illus.  . 
Imp.  . 
Incog. 
Indef. 
Indie. 
Infin.  . 
In  lim. 
In  loc. 
Inst.   . 
Int.     . 
Inter  j. 
In  trans. 
Ion.    . 
Ir.       . 
Irreg. 
Isl.      . 
Ital.    . 
Itin.    . 


J.H.S. 

Jour.  . 

Lat.  . 
L.c.  . 
L.l.  . 
Lon.  or 
L.S.  . 
LXX  . 


M.      . 
M.      . 

Mem. 
Mgr.  . 
Misc.  . 
Mo.(s) 


Lon 


(Ibidem)  in  the  same  place 

(Idem)  the  same 

(Id  est)  that  is 

First   letters  of    IHSOTS,   Greek  for 

Jesus  l 
Illustrated 
Imperative  (mood) 
(Incognito)  unknown 
Indefinite 
Indicative  (mood) 
Infinitive  (mood) 
(In  limine)  at  the  outset 
(In  loco)  in  the  place 
(Instante)  the  current  month 
Interest 
Interjection 

(In  transitu)  on  the  passage 
Ionic 
Irish 
Irregular 
Island 
Italic 
Itinerary 

See  I.H.S. 
Journal 

Latin,  latitude 

(Loco  citato)  in  the  place  cited 

(Loco  laudato)  in  the  place*  quoted 

Longitude 

(Locus  sigilli)  place  of  the  seal 

The  Septuagint 

(Meridies)  noon 

Married 

Memorandum,  Memoranda 

Manager 

Miscellaneous 

Month,  months 


Erroneously  Jesus  hominum  Salvator. 


ABBREVIATIONS                 05 

M.S.  .     . 

(Memoriae    sacrum)    sacred     to    the 

memory 

MS.    .     . 

(Manuscriptum)  manuscript 

MSS.  .      . 

.     Manuscripts 

Mt.     .      . 

.      .     Mount,  Mont 

Myth.      . 

.     Mythology 

N.       .     . 

.     Noun;  note(s) 

Nat.    .      . 

.     National 

Naut. 

.     Nautical 

N.B.   .      . 

(Nota  Bene)  note  well 

Nem.  con.  or 

nem.    (Nemine  contradicente  or  nemine  dis- 

diss. 

sentiente)  none  opposing 

N.l.     .     . 

(Non  liquet)  it  does  not  appear 

N.  lat.      . 

.     North  latitude 

N.N.E.     . 

.     North-northeast 

N.N.W.    . 

.     North-northwest 

Nom. 

.     Nominative 

Nol.  pros. 

(Nolle  prosequi)  indicates  in  law  that  a 

complaint  will  not  be  prosecuted 

N.S.    .     . 

.     New  Style  (after  1752) 

N.T.  .     . 

New  Testament 

N.u.    .      . 

.     name(s)  unknown 

N.V.M.    . 

.     Nativity  of  the  Virgin  Mary 

N.W.  .     .     . 

.     Northwest 

Ob.     .     . 

(Obiit)  he  or  she  died 

Obj.    .     . 

.     Objective  (case) 

Obs.    .     .     . 

.     Obsolete 

O.F.    .     . 

.     Odd  Fellow(s) 

Olym.       .      . 

.     Olympiad 

O.H.M.S. 

.     On  His  Majesty's  Service 

Op.     .     . 

Opposite 

O.S.    .     .     . 

.     Old  Style  (before  1752) 

o.t:  .    .    . 

Old  Testament 

P.  or  pp.  . 

.     Page  or  pages 

Par.  or  If 

.     Paragraph 

Par.  Pas. 

. .   Parallel  Passage  (s) 

Pari.   .      .      , 

Parliament 

Part.  .      .      , 

.     Participle 

86     THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 


Partic. 
Pass.  . 
Pen.  . 
Pent.  . 
Perf.  . 
Pers.  . 
Pers.  pron 
Persp. 
Phil.  . 
Pinx.  . 
PL  . 
Plur.  . 
Plup.  . 
Plff.  . 
P.M.  . 
P.O.  . 
Pop.  . 
Posit. 
P.p.  . 
P.P.C. 
P.  pr. 
Pro  tern. 
P.R.  . 
Pret.  . 
Pron.  . 
Pr.  p. 
Pref.  . 
P.S.  . 
P.T.O. 
Pt.  . 
Pub.  . 
Pub.  Doc 

Q.       • 
Q.B.    . 

Q.C.    . 

Q.d.    . 


Q.E.    .     . 


Particle 

Passive  (voice) 

Peninsula 

Pentecost 

Perfect  (tense) 

Person 

Personal  Pronoun 

Perspective 

Philosophy 

(Pinxii)  he  painted  it 

Plate(s) 

Plural 

Pluperfect 

Plaintiff 

(Post  meridiem)  afternoon  to  midnight 

Post-office 

Population 

Positive 

Past  participle 

(Pour  prendre  conge)  to  take  leave 

Participle  present 

(Pro  tempore)  for  the  time  being 

(Populus  Romanus)  the  Roman  people 

Preterite  tense 

Pronoun 

Present  participle 

Preface 

Privy  Seal 

Please  turn  over 

Point 

Publisher 

Public  Document (s) 

Question 

Queen's  Bench 

Queen's  College;  Queen's  Council 

(Quasi  dicat)  as  if  he  should  say;  (Quasi 

dictum)  as  if  said;   (Quasi  dixisset) 

as  if  he  had  said 
(Quod  est)  which  is 


ABBREVIATIONS 


87 


Q.E.F.     . 

Q.1 

Q.  Mess.  .     .     . 

Qm 

Q.p.  orq.pl. 

Qr 

Q.s.    .      .      . 

. 

Q.v.   .     .     . 

. 

Q.v.    .     .     . 

. 

Qy.    •     • 

R.,  Reaum 

# 

R.       .      . 

Rem.  . 

,           . 

R.A.   .     . 

• 

R.  E.  .     . 

Reed. 

,            . 

Rect.  .      . 

, 

Ref.    .     . 

Ref.  Ch.  . 

# 

Ref.    .     . 

Regr.  .     . 

. 

Regt.  .     . 

. 

Rel.  pron. 

. 

Rep.   .     .     , 

Repub.     . 

. 

R.M.  .     .     . 

# 

R.N.  .     . 

Ro.     .     . 

Rom.  Cath. 

# 

R.P.   .     . 

Ru.     .     .     . 

S.  .     .     . 

s.  ss. .    . 

#             # 

(Quod  erat  demonstrandum)  which  was 

to  be  proved 
(Quod  erat  faciendum)  which  was  to  be 

done 
(Quantum  libet)  as  much  as  you  please 
Queen's  Messenger 
(Quomodo)  by  what  means,  how 
(Quantum    placet)  as    much    as    you 

please 
Quarter 

(Quantum  sufficit)  a  sufficient  quantity 
(Quantum  vis)  as  much  as  you  will 
(Quod  vide)  which  see 
Query 

Reaumur  (thermometer) 
(Regina)  Queen;   (Rex)  King 
Remark  (s) 
Royal  Academy;  Royal  Academician; 

Royal  Artillery 
Royal  Engineers 
Received 
Rector 

Reformation;  Reformed 
Reformed  Church 
Reference 
Registrar 
Regiment 
Relative  Pronoun 
Representative 
Republican 
Royal  Marines 
Royal  Navy 
(Recto)  right-hand  page 
Roman  Catholic 
(Res  Publico)  Republic 
Runic 

Solo  (in  Italian  music);  South 

Section  (s),  Saint  (s) 

(Secundum  artem)  according  to  art 


88      THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 


Sax 

s.c 

s.c 

Sch 

Schol. 

Sci 

Sculp. 

S.E 

Sen 

Seq.  or  sq. 
Seqq.  or  sqq. 

Ser 

Shak. 

Sing 

SJ.C.  .  .  . 
S.  lat.  .  .  . 
S.O.S.       .     .     . 

S.P 

Sp.gr.  .  .  . 
S.P.Q.R.  .     .     . 

S.R.I.       .     .     . 

S.R.S.      .     .     . 

S.S 

S.S.E.  .  .  . 
S.S.W.     .     .     . 

St 

Stat 

Ster 

Subj 

Subst. 

Su.-Goth.       .      . 

Super. 

Superl. 

S.W 


Saxon 

(Senatus  consultum)   a  decree  of  the 

Senate 
(in  law)  same  case 
Schooner  (s) 
(Scholium)  a  note 
Science 

(Sculpsit)  he  engraved 
Southeast 
Senate;  Senator 
(Sequente)  and  in  what  follows 
(Sequentibus)    and    in    the    following 

(places) 
Series 
Shakspere 
Singular  (number) 
Supreme  Judicial  Court 
South  latitude 
Marconi  distress  signal 
(Sine  prole)  without  issue 
Specific  gravity 
(Senatus    Populusque    Romanus)    the 

Senate  and  the  Roman  People 
(Sacrum  Romanum  Imperium)  the  Holy 

Roman  Empire 
(Societatis  Regiae  Socius)  Fellow  of  the 

Royal  Society 
Sunday  School 
South-southeast    . 
South-southwest 
Saint;  street 
Statute  (s) 
Sterling 
Subjunctive 
Substantive 
Suio-Gothic 
Superfine 
Superlative 
Southwest 


ABBREVIATIONS 


89 


T Tenor   (in  music);    (Tutti)   the  whole 


Ter.    . 
Term. 
Theor. 
Tr.      . 


Um.    . 
Univ. 
U.S.A. 
U.S.M. 

U.S.N. 

u.s.s. 

U.s.    . 

Vat.  . 
V.a.  . 
V.  aux. 
V.  def. 
V.  dep. 
Ven.  . 
V.g.  . 
V.  imp. 
V.  in.  . 
V.  irr. 
V.  n.  . 
Vo.  . 
Voc.  . 
Vol.  . 
V.r.  . 
V.  tr.  . 
V.       . 


W.      . 
W.  Ion. 
W.N.W. 
W.S.W. 


Xmas 
Zool. 


orchestra,  after  a  solo 
Territory 
Termination 
Theorem 
Translator;  transpose 

Unmarried 
University 
United  States  Army 
United  States  Mail 
United  States  Navy 
United  States  Ship 
(Ut  supra)  as  above 

Vatican 

Verb  active 

Verb  auxiliary 

Verb  defective 

Verb  deponent 

Venerable 

(Verbi  gratia)  for  example 

Verb  impersonal 

Verb  intransitive 

Verb  irregular 

Verb  neuter 

(Verso)  left-hand  page 

Vocative 

Volume 

Verb  reflexive 

Verb  transitive 

Vulgate  (Version) 

West;  wife 
West  longitude 
West-northwest 
West-southwest 

Christmas 

Zoology 


9°     THE   WRITER    S 

DESK   BOOK 

9.    SCRIPTURAL  ABBREVIATIONS 

OLD  TESTAMENT 

(O.   T.) 

Gen. 

Esth. 

Hos. 

Exod. 

Job 

Joel 

Lev. 

Ps.  (Pss.) 

Amos 

Num. 

Prov. 

Obad. 

Deut. 

Eccles. 

Jonah 

Josh. 

Song  of  Sol.  (or     Mic. 

Judg. 

Cant.) 

Nah. 

Ruth 

Isa. 

Hab. 

I  and  II  Sam. 

Jer. 

Zeph. 

I  and  II  Kings 

Lam. 

Hag. 

I  and  II  Chron. 

Ezek. 

Zech. 

Ezra 

Dan. 

Mai. 

Neh. 

NEW   TESTAMENT 

(n.  t.) 

Matt. 

Gal. 

Philem. 

Mark 

Eph. 

Heb. 

Luke 

Phil. 

Jas. 

John 

Col. 

I  and  II  Pet. 

Acts 

I  and  II  Thess. 

I,  II,  and  III  John 

Rom. 

I  and  II  Tim. 

Jude 

I  and  II  Cor. 

Titus 

Rev. 

APOCRYPHA 

I  and  II  Esd. 

Wisd.  of  Sol. 

Sus. 

Tob.  = 

=  Tobit 

Eccles. 

Bel  and  Dragon 

Jud.  = 

•  Judith 

Bar. 

Pr.  of  Man. 

Rest  of  Esther 

Song  of  Three 

I,  II,  III,  and  IV 

Children 

Mace. 

10.   MONETARY   SIGNS 

$ Dollar  or  dollars 

cts Cents 

gn Guinea 

£  (English) Pound  or  pounds 

^/or  s.    .     .     .     .     .     .  Shilling  or  shillings 


ABBREVIATIONS  91 

d.      .      .      ...      .      .      .  {Denarius)  penny  or  pence 

fr Franc  or  francs 

c.  {French) Centime  or  centimes 

m Mark  or  marks 

pf Pfennig  or  pfennigs 

cr.  {Austrian)    ....  Crown  or  crowns 

hr Heller  or  hellers 

rub Ruble  or  rubles 

kop .  Kopec  or  kopecs 

kr.  {Danish)      ....  Crown  or  crowns 

oro,  ore Oro  or  ore 

£  {Italian)  .      .      .      .      .  Lira  or  lire 

.  {Italian) Centesimo  or  centesimi 


1 


11.   MATHEMATICAL   SIGNS 


+ Plus 

— Minus 

db Plus  or  minus 

T  Minus  or  plus 

X Multiplied  by l 

-r- Divided  by 

= Equal  to 

7^ Not  equal  to 

= Identical  with 

^ Not  identical  with 

= Congruent  to 

> Greater  than 

< Less  than 

The  difference  between 

=C= Is  equivalent  to 

/ Integration 

:  and  :  :       .....  Proportion 

OC Varies  as 

= Approaches  as  a  limit 

00 Infinity 

.'. Therefore 


This  is  also  indicated  algebraically  by  a  dot,  as,  a  •  b 


92     THE   WRITER'S   DESK   BOOK 

Because 

Continuation 

V The  radical  sign 

_L Perpendicular  to 

[s_ Factorial  sign 

II Parallel 

^ Arc  of  circle 

Degree  of  circle 

Minute  of  circle 

Second  of  circle 

Z_  > Angle 

I Right  angle 

D Square 

I     1 Rectangle 

O Parallelogram 

A Triangle 

12.   MEDICAL  SIGNS 

aa (dvd)  of  each 

1^ (Recipe)  take 

3 ,  O  i Ounce,  one  ounce 

O  ss Half  an  ounce 

O  iss One  ounce  and  a  half 

Oij Two  ounces 

5 Drachm 

3 Scruple 

O (Octavius)  Pint 

O Fluid  ounce 

O Fluid  drachm 

m Minim  or  drop 


NUMERALS 


A. 


CCORDING  to  Astle,  the  combination 
of  Greek  numerical  characters  was  not  well 
known  to  the  Latins  before  the  thirteenth 
century,  although  Greek  numerical  charac- 
ters were  frequently  used  in  France  and  Ger- 
many in  episcopal  letters,  and  continued  to 
the  eleventh  century.  But  of  all  the  Greek 
ciphers  the  episemon  fiav  was  most  in  use 
with  the  Latins;  it  gradually  assumed  the 
form  of  G  with  a  tail,  for  so  it  appears  in  a 
Latin  inscription  of  the  year  296.  It  is  found 
to  have  been  used  in  the  fifth  century  in 
Latin  MSS.  It  was  reckoned  for  6,  and  this 
value  has  been  evinced  by  such  a  number  of 
monumental  proofs,  that  there  is  no  room  to 
give  it  any  other.  Some  of  the  learned,  with 
even  Mabillon,  have  been  mistaken  in  esti- 
mating it  as  5,  but  in  a  posthumous  work  he 
acknowledges  his  error. 

Those  authors  were  led  into  this  error  by 
the  medals  of  the  Emperor  Justinian  having 
the  episemon  for  5;  but  it  is  a  certain  fact 
that  the  coiners  had  been  mistaken  and  con- 
founded it  with  the  tailed  U,  for  the  episemon 
was  still  in  use  in  the  fourth  century,  and 
among    the    Latins    was    estimated   as    6,   but 

93 


94     THE   WRITER'S   DESK   BOOK 

under  a  form  somewhat  different.  When- 
ever it  appears  in  other  monuments  of  the 
western  nations  of  Europe  of  that  very  cen- 
tury and  the  following,  it  is  rarely  used  to 
express  any  number  except  5. 

The  Etruscans  also  used  their  letters  for 
indicating  numbers  by  writing  them  from 
right  to  left,  and  the  ancient  Danes  copied 
the  example  in  the  application  of  their  letters. 

The  Romans,  when  they  borrowed  arts 
and  sciences  from  the  Greeks,  learned  also 
their  method  of  using  alphabetical  numera- 
tion. This  custom,  however,  was  not  very 
ancient  among  them.  Before  writing  was 
yet  current  with  them,  they  made  use  of 
nails  for  reckoning  years,  and  the  method  of 
driving  those  nails  became  in  process  of  time 
a  ceremony  of  their  religion.  The  first  eight 
Roman  numerals  were  composed  of  the  I 
and  the  V.  The  Roman  ten  was  composed 
of  the  V  proper  and  the  V  inverted  (A), 
which  characters  served  to  reckon  as  far  as 
forty;  but  when  writing  became  more  gen- 
eral, I,  V,  X,  L,  C,  D,  and  M  were  the  only 
characters  appropriated  to  the  indication  of 
numbers.  The  above  seven  letters,  in  their 
most  extensive  combination,  produce  six 
hundred  and  sixty-six  thousand,  ranged  thus, 
DCLXVIM.  Some,  however,  contend  that 
the  Romans  were  strangers  to  any  higher 
number  than  100,000.  The  want  of  ciphers 
obliged  them  to  double,  treble,  and  multiply 


NUMERALS  95 

their  numerical  characters  four-fold,  accord- 
ing as  they  had  occasion  to  make  them  ex- 
press units,  tens,  hundreds,  etc.  For  the 
sake  of  brevity  they  had  recourse  to  another 
expedient:  by  drawing  a  small  line  over  any 
of  their  numeral  characters  they  made  them 
stand  for  as  many  thousands  as  they  con- 
tained units.  Thus_a  small  line  over  I  made 
it  iooo,  and  over  X  expressed  10,000,  etc. 

When  the  Romans  wrote  several  units 
together  in  succession,  the  first  and  last  were 
longer  than  the  rest  mm;  thus  vir  after 
those  six  units  signified  sex-vir.  D  stood  for 
500,  and  the  perpendicular  line  of  this  letter 
was  sometimes  separated  from  the  body  thus 
(13,)  without  lessening  its  value.  M,  whether 
capital  or  uncial,  expressed  1000.  In  the 
uncial  form  it  sometimes  assumed  that  of  one 
of  those  figures,  CI3,  CD,  00 ,  cr> .  The  cumbent 
X  was  also  used  to  signify  a  similar  number. 

In  ancient  MSS.  4  is  written  MI  and  not  IV, 
9  thus  Villi  and  not  IX,  etc.  Instead  of  V 
five  units,  IIIII,  were  sometimes  used  in  the 
eighth  century.  Half  was  expressed  by  an  S 
at  the  end  of  the  figures,  CIIS  was  put  102J. 
This  S  sometimes  appeared  in  the  form  of  our  5. 

In  some  old  MSS.  those  numerical  figures 
LXL  are  used  to  express  90.  The  Roman 
numeral  letters  were  generally  used  both  in 
England,  France,  Italy,  and  Germany,  from 
the  earliest  times  to  the  middle  of  the  fifteenth 
century. 


96     THE   WRITER'S   DESK   BOOK 


The  ancient  people  of  Spain  made  use  of 
the  Roman  ciphers.  The  X  with  the  top  of 
the  right-hand  stroke  in  form  of  a  semi-circle 
reckoned  for  40;  it  merits  the  more  particu- 
lar notice  as  it  has  misled  many  of  the  learned. 
The  Roman  ciphers,  however,  were  continued 
in  use  with  the  Spaniards  until  the  fifteenth 
century.  The  Germans  used  the  Roman 
ciphers  for  a  long  time,  nearly  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  French. 

The  points  after  the  Roman  ciphers  were 
exceedingly  various,  and  never  rightly  fixed. 
It  is  not  known  when  the  ancient  custom 
was  first  introduced  of  placing  an  O  at  top 
immediately  after  the  Roman  characters,  as 
A°  M°  L°  VI°  etc. 


NUMERAL  LETTERS 


Roman 

Unus,  a,  urn 

I 

Duo,  ae,   0 

II 

Tres,  ia 

III 

Quatuor 

IV  [IIII] 

Quinque 

V 

Sex 

VI 

Septem 

VII 

Octo 

VIII 

Novem 

IX 

Decern 

X 

Undecim 

XI 

Duodecim 

XII 

Tredecim 

XIII 

Quatuordecim 

XIV 

Quindecim 

XV 

Se(sex)decim 

XVI 

Septemdecim 

XVII 

Arabic 

1 
2 

3 
4 

5 
6 

7 
8 

9 
10 
11 
12 

13 
14 

15 
16 

17 


NUMERALS 


97 


Octodecim 

Duodeviginti 

Novemdecim 

Undeviginti 

Viginti 

Triginta 

Quadraginta 

Quinquaginta 

Sexaginta 

Septuaginta 

Octoginta 

Nonaginta 

Centum 

Ducenti-ae-a 

Trecenti-ae-a 

Quadringenti-ae-a 

Quingenti-ae-a 

Sexcenti-ae-a 

Septingenti-ae-a 

Octingenti-ae-a 

Nongenti-ae-a 

Mille 

Duo  millia 

Bis  mille 

Tria  millia  1 

Ter  mille    J 

Quatuor  millia  1 

Quater  mille     J 

Quinque  millia  1 

Quinquies  mille  j 

Decern  millia ) 

Decies  mille 

Quinquaginta  millia ) 

Quinquaquies  mille  / 

Centum  millia) 

Centies  mille 

Quingenta  millia  1 

Quingenties  mille  J 

Decies  centena  millia 


Roman 

Arabic 

XVIII 

18 

XIX 

19 

XX 

20 

XXX 

30 

XL 

40 

L 

50 

LX 

60 

LXX 

70 

LXXX 

80 

xc 

QO 

c 

IOO 

cc 

200 

ccc 

300 

cccc 

4OO 

I3orD 

500 

DC 

60O 

DCC 

700 

DCCC 

80O 

DCCCC  or  CM 

9OO 

M  or  CI3 

IOOO 

MM 

2000 

MMM 

3000 

MMMM 

400O 

133  or  V 

SOOO 

CCI33  or  X 

IO,000 

1333  or  L 

50,000 

CCCI333  or  C 

100,000 

13333  or  D 

500,000 

CCCCI3333  or  M 

1,000,000 

98     THE   WRITER'S   DESK   BOOK 

If  the  lesser  number  is  placed  before  the 
greater,  the  lesser  is  to  be  deducted  from  the 
greater;  thus  IV  signifies  one  less  than  5, 
i.e.,  4;   IX,  9;   XC,  90. 

If  the  lesser  number  be  placed  after  the 
greater,  the  lesser  is  to  be  added  to  the 
greater;  thus  VI  signifies  one  more  than  5, 
i.e.,  6;    XI,  11;    CX,  no. 

A  horizontal  stroke  over  a  numeral  de- 
notes a  thousand;  thus  V  signifies  five  thou- 
sand; L,  fifty  thousand;  M,  a  thousand 
times  a  thousand,  or  a  million. 

I,  signifies  one,  because  it  is  the  smallest 
letter. 

V,  five,  because  it  is  sometimes  used  for  U, 
the  fifth  vowel. 

X,  ten,  because  it  represents  two  VS. 

L,  fifty,  from  its  resemblance  to  the  lower 
half  of  C. 

C,  a  hundred,  centum. 

13  or  D,five  hundred,  the  half  of  CI3. 

M  or  CIO,  a  thousand,  from  mille.  The 
latter  figures  joined  at  the  top,  cr> }  formed 
the  ancient  M. 


CORRECT  AND   FAULTY  DICTION 


C 


ORRECTNESS  is  the  primary  requisite 
of  spoken  or  written  discourse.  Language 
must  not  be  only  understood,  but  it  must 
convey  all  the  meaning  which  the  writer 
intends  to  express.  As  a  guide  to  those  who 
are  bewildered  by  the  many  cases  of  divided 
usage,  the  following  adaptation  of  certain 
canons,  framed  by  Dr.  Campbell  over  a  cen- 
tury ago  and  used  as  a  basis  by  every  later 
writer  on  Rhetoric,  are  here  given: 

Canon  I.  —  When,  of  two  words  or  phrases 
in  equally  good  use,  one  is  susceptible  of  two 
significations  and  the  other  of  but  one,  pref- 
erence should  be  given  to  the  latter:  e.g., 
admittance  is  better  than  admission,  as  the 
latter  word  also  means  "confession";  relative 
is  to  be  preferred  to  relation,  as  the  latter 
also  means  the  telling  of  a  story. 

Canon  II.  —  In  doubtful  cases  regard 
should  be  given  to  the  analogy  of  the  lan- 
guage: might  better  should  be  preferred  to  had 
better,  and  would  rather  is  better  than  had 
rather. 

Canon  III.  —  The  simpler  and  briefer  form 
should  be  preferred,  other  things  being  equal: 

99 


100     THE   WRITER'S   DESK   BOOK 

e.g.,  omit'  the  bracketed  words  in  expressions 
such  as,  open[up],  meet  [together],  follow  [after], 
examine  [into],  trace  [out],  bridge  [over],  crave 
[for],  etc. 

Canon  IV.  —  Between  two  forms  of  expres- 
sion in  equally  good  use,  prefer  the  one  which 
is  more  euphonious:  e.g.,  most  beautiful  is 
better  than  beautifullest,  and  more  free  is  to 
be  preferred  to  freer. 

Canon  V.  —  In  cases  not  covered  by  the 
four  preceding  canons,  prefer  that  which 
conforms  to  the  older  usage:  e.g.,  begin  is 
better  than  commence. 

Familiarity  with  the  writings  of  those 
authors  whose  style  is  accepted  as  conforming 
to  the  standards  of  good  usage  is  an  essential 
to  all  those  who  seek  accuracy  in  correct 
expression,  and  the  following  authors  may  be 
studied  with  this  in  mind:  Addison,  Matthew 
Arnold,  Burke,  DeQuincey,  George  Eliot, 
Emerson,  Hawthorne,  Holmes,  Irving,  Macau- 
lay,  John  Stuart  Mill,  Newman,  Poe,  Ruskin, 
Stevenson,  and  Thackeray. 

The  various  standard  dictionaries  may  be 
consulted  regarding  words  which  are  ques- 
tionable when  measured  by  good  usage.  The 
function  of  the  dictionary  is  to  record  all 
words  in  general  use,  but  a  careful  record  is 
made  as  to  the  classes  to  which  the  various 
words  belong.  Good  usage,  for  instance, 
does  not  recognize  the  word  vim,  yet  it  will 
be  found  in  the  Century  Dictionary;    but  at 


DICTION'  TOl 

the  end  of  the  definition  an  entry  [Colloq.]  is 
placed,  showing  that  it  is  authorized  only  by 
colloquial  use. 

The  following  list  of  words  and  phrases 
which  are  most  commonly  misused  will  be 
found  useful.  The  correct  words  are  added 
in  brackets: 

Accept,  see  Except 

Admire,  should  not  be  used  to  express  delight:  e.g., 
I  should  admire  [be  delighted]  to  go  to  California 

Admit,  see  Confess 

Adverbs:  should  usually  be  placed  next  to  the  words 
they  modify.     (See  also  Infinitive) 

Affable,  means  "  easy  to  speak  to,"  and  should  not  be  used 
for  agreeable 

Affect,  should  not  be  confused  with  effect:  e.g.,  She 
was  deeply  affected  by  the  news;  or  The  news  had  a 
serious  effect  upon  her;  or  The  effect  of  the  news  was 
serious 

Aggravate,  should  not  be  used  for  annoy  or  vex.  It 
means  "to  make  worse":  e.g.,  His  cold  was  aggra- 
vated by  the  exposure 

Ain't,  is  a  contraction  of  am  not.  It  is  inelegant  though 
grammatically  correct  to  say,  /  ain't,  but  it  is  abso- 
lutely wrong  to  say,  He  ain't,  etc. 

All  right,  should  never  be  written  alright 

Alternative,  should  not  be  used  in  speaking  of  one  of 
more  than  two  things 

And,  should  not  be  placed  before  a  relative  pronoun 
in  such  a  position  as  to  interfere  with  the  construc- 
tion: e.g.,  /  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  letter, 
{and)  for  which  I  send  you  my  cordial  thanks.  Omit 
the  conjunction 

Any  place,  should  be  written  anywhere 

Apparently,  is  used  of  what  seems  to  be  real,  but  may 
not  be  so;  evidently  of  that  which  both  seems  and  is 
real 


/.  1&Z*  *.$  H'K'W  R  l;T  E*R  '  S   DESK   BOOK 

••  ••  •"  *••  •  •••    :  :.•:.••■  %.' 

Apt,  means  skilful   and  should  not  be  used  for  likely. 

He  is  apt  to  be  here  soon  should  be  He  is  likely  to  be 

here  soon;    He  is  an  apt  pupil  is  correct 
Articles:  when  superfluous,  are  misleading  and  should 

be  omitted;    but  it  is  more  frequently  the  case  that 

necessary  articles  are   omitted:    e.g.,  The  army  and 

navy  signifies  a  single  organization.     Insert  a  before 

navy 
As,  should  not  be  used  as  a  causal  conjunction:    e.g., 

Do  not  expect  me  (as)  I  am  too  uncertain  of  my  time. 

The  word  as  stands  here  as  a  contraction  of  inasmuch  as. 

Substitute  a  semicolon:   e.g.,  Do  not  expect  me;  I  am  too 

uncertain  of  my  time. 
As  .  .  .  as,  see  So  ...  as 
At,  is  often  incorrectly  used  for  in:  e.g.,  They  are  living  at 

[in]  Florence 
At  length,  does  not  mean  the  same  as  at  last.      Say  At 

length  he  showed  signs  of  relenting,  and  At  last  he  relented 
Aught,  is  frequently  confused  with  naught.     It  means 

"anything,"  whereas  the  symbol  0  means  "nothing" 
Avail,  should  be  used  with  of  only  with  some  form  of 

be;   otherwise  to  is  the  proper  word:    e.g.,   He  called 

lustily,  but  of  [to]  no  avail;    or  He  called  lustily,  but 

[it  was]  of  no  avail 
Aware,  is  used  in  relation  to  things  outside  of  ourselves; 

conscious  in  relation  to  sensations  or  things   within 

ourselves 
Awful,  should  not  be  used  loosely.     It  means  "inspiring 

with  awe."     To   say  /  had  an  awfully  good  time  is 

as  ridiculous  as  it  is  meaningless 

Badly,  should  not  be  used  for  very  much  or  a  great  deal. 
The  expression,  //  you  don't  care  to  do  a  thing  very 
badly,  do  it  very  badly,  shows  the  absurdity.  Do  not 
confuse  the  adjective  with  the  adverb.  He  looks 
badly  means  "He  makes  a  bad  use  of  his  eyes."  He 
looks  bad  is  correct 

Bank  on,  a  slang  expression  not  recognized  by  good 
usage.     Say  rely  on  or  trust  in 


DICTION  103 

Beg,  should  never  be  used  without  the  word  leave,  when 
asking  permission.  In  correspondence  one  often 
sees  the  expressions,  /  beg  to  state,  I  beg  to  differ. 
One  should  say,  /  beg  leave  to  state,  I  beg  leave  to 
differ 

Bring,  see  Take 

But,  is  sometimes  used  as  a  preposition,  and  when  so 
used  takes  the  objective  case:  e.g.,  The  invitation 
included  all  but  him  is  correct 

Can,  denotes  power,  and  should  not  be  used  for  may, 
which  denotes  permission.  The  following  sentence 
shows  the  correct  use  of  both  words:  He  may  do  it 
if  he  can 

Cannot  but,  should  not  be  used  interchangeably  with 
can  but,  as  the  two  expressions  differ  in  meaning: 
e.g.,  /  can  but  try  means  "All  I  can  do  is  to  try"; 
/  cannot  but  try  means  "I  cannot  help  trying" 

Can't  seem,  should  not  be  used  for  seem  unable:  e.g., 
I  can't  seem  [seem  unable]  to  find  it 

Case:  the  nominative  is  sometimes  wrongly  used  for 
the  objective  case:  e.g.,  Let  He  [Him]  who  made  thee 
answer  that 

Childlike,  means  that  belonging  to  the  child;  childish, 
means  the  weakness  of  the  child 

Come,  see  Go 

Common,  see  Mutual 

Confess,  should  not  be  used  in  the  sense  of  admit,  in 
cases  in  which  no  idea  of  confession  enters 

Conscious,  see  Aware 

Continual,  meaning  "  frequently  repeated  acts,"  should 
not  be  confused  with  continuous  meaning  "uninter- 
rupted action":  e.g.,  Continual  nagging  spoils  the 
disposition,  and  The  continuous  flowing  of  a  stream 

Deadly,  which  means  "that  which  inflicts  death," 
should  not  be  confused  with  deathly,  which  means 
"that  which  resembles  death":  e.g.,  A  deadly  poison, 
and  A  deathly  pallor 


104     THE   WRITER'S   DESK   BOOK 

Decided,  means  "strong,"  decisive  means  "final."     A 

decided  opinion  does  not  mean  the  same  as  a  decisive 

opinion 
Definite,     means      "well-defined";      definitive     means 

"final" 
Demean,  which  signifies  "to  behave"  oneself,  should  not 

be  used  for  degrade  or  debase 
Different,  should  never  be  followed  by  the  word  than. 

Say,  Different  from 
Directly,   should  not  be   used   for   as  soon  as:    e.g., 

Directly  [as  soon  as]  he  arrived 
Discover,  is  to  find  something  which  previously  existed; 

invent  is  to  produce  something  for  the  first  time 
Don't,  is  a  contraction  of  do  not.     One  may  say,  /  don't, 

but  not  He  don't.     Say,  He  doesnyt 

Each  other,  should  not  be  misused  for  one  another.  One 
may  say,  The  two  cousins  were  devoted  to  each  other; 
or  Many  suggestions  were  made,  following  one  another 
in  rapid  succession 

Effect,  see  Affect 

Egoists,  are  those  who  made  the  ego  the  basis  of  their 
philosophy;  egotists  are  those  who  worship  them- 
selves 

Either,  should  not  be  used  to  designate  more  than  two 
persons  or  things.  To  designate  one  of  three  or 
more,  say  Any  one 

Enormity,  describes  deeds  of  unusual  horror;  enormous- 
ness  describes  things  of  unusual  size 

Enthuse  (verb),  is  not  recognized  by  good  usage.  I 
became  enthused  shoulcl  be  written  /  became  enthusiastic 

Every  place,  should  be  written  everywhere 

Excellent,  should  never  be  qualified  as  it  is  a  super- 
lative: e.g.,  most  excellent,  very  excellent,  and  the  like 
are  impossible.     (See  also  Superlatives) 

Except  (verb),  signifies  "to  exclude":  e.g.,  Present 
company  excepted.  As  a  preposition  it  means  "with 
the  exception."  It  should  not  be  confused  with 
accept,  which  signifies  "to  receive" 


DICTION  105 

Exceptional,  describes  a  case  outside  the  operation  of  a 
rule;  exceptionable  is  that  which  is  open  to  criticism: 
e.g.,  Exceptionable  conduct  is  that  to  which  exception 
can  be  taken 

Expect,  should  not  be  used  as  a  synonym  for  think  or 
suppose 

Falseness  (of  a  person)  is  the  opposite  of  truthfulness ; 

falsity  (of  a  thing)  is  the  opposite  of  truth 
Fix,  should  not  be  used  in  the  sense  of  repair.     It  means 

"to  attach" 
Former,  should  not  be  used  to  designate  one  of  more 

than  two  persons  or  things.     If  reference  is  made  to 

one  of  three  or  more,  say  The  first 

Gentleman,  should  be  used  to  designate  only  a  person 
of  refinement,  and  never  as  a  mere  designation  of  sex. 
The  use  of  the  word  man  is  never  out  of  place 

Gentleman  friend,  is  an  expression  which  should  be 
avoided,  owing  to  the  use  which  has  been  made  of 
it.  Say  man  friend  or  man  friends,  or  gentleman  of 
my  acquaintance 

Go,  should  not  be  confused  with  come:  e.g.,  /  will  come 
[go]  to  you  when  you  need  me 

Got,  is  said  to  be  the  most  misused  word  in  the  language. 
/  have  got  to  go  should  be  /  am  obliged  to  go.  Have 
you  got  time?  should  be  Have  you  time?  etc.  The 
verb  means  "to  secure,"  so  it  must  be  used  only 
with  this  meaning:   e.g.,  J  have  got  the  contract 

Gotten,  is  an  obsolete  form.     Say  got 

Guess,  is  loosely  used  for  suppose,  expect,  or  intend, 
but  is  avoided  by  the  best  writers 

Hanged,  see  Hung 

Hardly,  should  never  be  preceded  by  the  negative:  e.g., 

That  is  not  hardly  enough.     Omit  not 
He,  see  Him 
Healthful,  means  "health-giving,"  as  applied  to  articles 

of  food;   healthy  is  the  condition  of  the  person 


106      THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

Her,  is  often  misused  for  she:  e.g.,  It  is  her  [she];  Such 

a  woman  as  her  [she] 
Him,  is  often  misused  for  he:   e.g.,  It  is  him  [he];    Let 

He  [Him]  who  made  thee  answer  that;  A  style  that 

belongs  to  no  other  than  he  [him] 
Hoi  polloi,  should  not  be  written  the  hoi  polloi.      Hoi  is 

Greek  for  "the" 
Honorable,  should  always  be  preceded  by  the:    e.g., 

The  Honorable  James  Brown  Smith 
How,  should  not  be  used  for  what:  e.g.,  How  [what]  did 

you  say  ? 
Hung,  should  be  distinguished  from  hanged:    e.g.,  The 

man  was  hanged,  but  The  flag  was  hung  across  the  street 

I,  see  Me 

If,  should  never  be  used  in  the  sense  of  whether  or  that: 
e.g.,  He  is  not  sure  if  he  remembers  should  be  He  is 
not  sure  whether  [or  that]  he  remembers 

In,  should  not  be  used  for  into,  when  motion  is  implied: 
e.g.,  He  stepped  in  [into]  the  boat.     See  also  At 

Infinitive:  the  verb  should  never  be  separated  from 
to,  the  sign  of  the  infinitive  word,  by  an  adverb: 
e.g.,  77  is  not  possible  for  me  to  absolutely  promise 
should  be  to  promise  absolutely 

-ing:  when  using  verbal  nouns  ending  in  -ing  be  care- 
ful to  distinguish  them  from  participles  having  the 
same  ending.  A  verbal  noun  must  never  be  pre- 
ceded by  an  adverb:  e.g.,  That  proved  of  as  little 
use  as  his  afterward  trying  to  explain  his  presence 
there  should  be  as  his  trying  afterward  to  explain 

Inside  of,  is  a  vulgarism  when  used  in  the  sense  of  within: 
e.g.,  The  snow  will  be  gone  inside  of  [within]  a  week 

Invent,  see  Discover 

Kind,  is  singular.      The  common  expression  those  kind 

is  absolutely  wrong.     Say  this  kind  or  these  kinds, 

that  kind  or  those  kinds 
Kind  of,  should  not  be  followed  by  the  article  a  or  an. 

Say  What  kind  of  man  is  he  ?  not  What  kind  of  a  man 

is  he? 


DICTION  107 

Lady,  see  Gentleman 

Lady  friend,  see  Gentleman  friend 

Last,  should  not  be  used  for  latest.     "Have  you  read  my 

last  book?"  asked  the  author.  "I  hope  so,"  was  the 

frank  reply 
Latter,  signifies  one  of  two  persons  or  things.     In  mak- 
ing reference  to  one  of  three  or  more,  say  The  last 
Lay,  should  not  be  confused  with  lie.     Hens  lay,  men  lie 
Less,  is  a  vulgarism  when  used  for  fewer:    e.g.,  There 

were  less  [fewer]  accidents  in  football  this  season 
Liable,  should  not  be  used  for  likely:  e.g.,  It  is  liable 

[likely]  to    rain    today.     Its    proper  sense  is  shown 

in  the  sentence,  He  is  liable  to  arrest 
Like,  is  a  vulgarism  when  used  for  as  or  as  if:   e.g.,  / 

wish  I  could  sing  like  [as]  you  do.     See  also  Love 
Likely,    means   "any   probability";    liable    means    an 

"unpleasant  probability" 
Loan,  is  not  in  accord  with  good  usage  when  used  as  a 

verb:   Say,  He  lent  me  a  dollar,  and  The  loan  was  of 

real  assistance 
Locate,  is  a  vulgarism  when  used  for  settle.     Say,  He  set- 
tled in  Boston,  and  He  located  his  business  in  Cambridge 
Love,  describes  that  which  appeals  to  our  affections;  like, 

that  which  appeals  to  our  taste,  appetite  or  fancy 
Luxuriant,  means  "superabundant";  luxurious  means 

"consequent  upon  luxury" 

Mad,  means  "insane,"  and  is  not  a  synonym  for  angry 

Man,  see  Gentleman 

May,  see  Can 

Me,  is  often  wrongly  used  for  I:  e.g.,  Between  you  and 

I  [me];  It  is  me  [I];  You  know  as  well  as  me  [I] 
Means,  may  be  either  singular  or  plural.     Say,  No  other 

means  was  at  hand,  or  Various  means  were  suggested 
Most,  should  not  be  used  for  almost 
Must,  should  not  be  used  for  had  to  or  was  obliged:  e.g., 

The  hour  arrived  when  he  must  [had  to]  decide.     In 

its  proper  use  it  refers  to  the  present  or  future:   e.g., 

The  hour  will  arrive  when  he  must  decide 


108      THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

Mutual,  should  not  be  used  in  the  sense  of  "shared  in 
common,"  as  it  means  "  reciprocal."  It  can  refer 
to  but  two  persons  or  things.  Mutual  friendship 
is  that  which  exists  between  two  friends;  common 
friendship  that  which  is  shared  by  two  friends  for  a 
third 

Negligence,  implies  failure  to  conform  to  an  established 
custom;   neglect  means  "a  failure  to  act" 

Neither,  signifies  one  of  two.  In  designating  one  of 
three  or  more,  say  No  one 

News,  is  singular  in  construction 

Nice,  should  not  be  used  loosely;  as,  She  was  nice  to  us. 
It  means  keenness  in  discrimination;  as,  77  was  a  fine 
point,  nicely  considered.  The  incorrect  use  of  this  word 
is  an  Americanism  especially  offensive  to  the  English. 
Oscar  Wilde,  when  in  America,  remarked,  "I  think 
nice  is  a  nasty  word,"  to  which  his  hearer  retorted, 
"I  don't  think  nasty  is  a  nice  word" 

No  place,  should  be  written  nowhere 

Nor,  see  Or 

Not  .  .  .  but,  forms  a  double  negative:  e.g.,  /  have  not 
asked  you  but  once  should  be  /  have  asked  you  but 
once 

Notorious,  is  not  a  synonym  for  celebrated  or  famous. 
It  means  "of  bad  repute" 

Nowhere  near,  is  a  vulgarism  for  not  nearly 

Number:  pronouns  are  often  used  which  differ  in 
number  from  their  antecedents:  e.g.,  Nobody  should 
feel  that  their  [his]  interests  have  been  neglected;  Each 
of  the  ladies,  like  two  excellent  actresses,  were  [was] 
perfect  in  their  [her]  parts  [part].  Singular  nouns  are 
sometimes  used  with  plural  verbs,  or  the  reverse: 
e.g.,  None  but  the  brave  deserve  [deserves]  the  fair; 
There's  [there  are]  the  boys 

Of,  is  sometimes  wrongly  used  for  have:  e.g.,  /  shouldn't 

of  [have]  come  if  I  had  known 
Or,  should  not  be  used  with  neither.     Use  nor 


DICTION  109 

Ought,  should  never  be  combined  with  had:  e.g.,  You 
hadn't  ought  to  do  that  should  be  You  ought  not  to 
do  that 

Out  loud,  should  never  be  used  for  aloud 

Partake  of,  should  not  be  used  in  the  sense  of  eat.  It 
means  "to  share  with  others" 

Party,  should  not  be  used  for  person 

Per,  should  not  be  used  with  English  words.  Say  One 
dollar  a  year,  or  One  dollar  per  annum 

Perception,  means  the  inlet  of  all  the  materials  of 
knowledge;  apperception  means  the  knowledge  that 
one  possesses  these  materials.  A  man  with  percep- 
tion knows;  a  man  with  apperception  knows  that  he 
knows 

Plurals:  of  foreign  words  should  be  carefully  ascer- 
tained: e.g.,  cherubim  is  the  plural  of  cherub;  memo- 
randa, of  memorandum;  data,  of  datum;  donne,  of 
donna;  strata,  of  stratum;  addenda,  of  addendum; 
rubaiyat,  of  rubai.     Do  not  say,  A  memoranda 

Pretty,  should  not  be  used  in  a  modifying  sense,  nor  as  a 
synonym  for  very:  e.g.,  It  is  not  as  good  as  yours,  but 
it  is  pretty  [fairly]  good;  I  didn't  hit  it,  but  I  came 
pretty  [very]  close 

Propose,  meaning  "  to  offer,"  should  not  be  confused 
with  purpose,  meaning  "to  intend."  Say,  He  pro- 
posed an  amendment,  and  /  have  told  you  what  I 
purpose 

Quite,  should  not  be  used  in  a  modifying  sense  as  if 
meaning  "rather."  It  is  not  what  I  expected,  but  it 
is  quite  good  is  wrong.  The  word  means  "wholly": 
e.g.,  Not  quite  =  not  wholly;  quite  satisfactory  = 
wholly  satisfactory 

Raise,  should  not  be  used  as  a  noun 
Rarely  ever,  is  a  vulgarism  for  rarely  or  hardly  ever 
Reference,  should  be  used  with  with  rather  than  in. 
Say,  With  reference  to  rather  than  In  reference  to 


110      THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

Regard,  see  Reference 
Respect,  see  Reference 

Reverend,  should  always  be  preceded  by  the:  e.g., 
The  Reverend  James  Brown  Smith 

Same,  should  not  be  used  as  a  pronoun:  e.g.,  Your 
letter  received,  and  in  reply  [to  same]  would  say.  Omit 
bracketed  words 

Same  as,  should  not  be  used  for  just  as  or  in  the  same 
way:  e.g.,  Treat  him  the  same  [just]  as  you  would  wish 
to  be  treated 

Scarcely,  see  Hardly 

Seldom  ever,  see  Rarely  ever 

Sensible  of,  means  " having  perception";  sensitive  to 
means  "affected  by" 

Set,  should  not  be  confused  with  sit.  To  set  means  "  to 
cause  to  sit":  e.g.,  The  bird  sits  upon  the  tree,  and 
The  waiter  set  two  chairs  for  us 

Sewage,  means  the  contents  of  sewers;  sewerage  means 
the  system 

Shall,  signifies  simple  expectancy  in  the  first  person, 
and  will  represents  determination.  This  reverses 
with  the  second  and  third  persons:  e.g.,  Expectancy, 
I  shall  (should),  thou  wilt  (wouldst),  he  will  (would), 
we  shall  (should),  you  will  (would),  they  will  (would). 
Determination,  I  will  (would),  thou  shalt  (shouldst), 
he  shall  (should),  we  will  (would),  you  shall  (should), 
they  shall  (should).  This  time-honored  illustration 
of  the  misuse  of  these  words  is  easily  remembered: 
/  will  drown,  nobody  shall  save  me.  In  interrogative 
sentences,  the  forms  of  the  future  are  the  same  as  in 
a  declarative  sentence,  and  their  proper  use  may  be 
easily  remembered  by  noting  that  the  same  auxil- 
iary is  used  as  is  expected  in  the  reply:  e.g.,  Shall 
you  go  ?  suggests  merely  /uture  action,  anticipating 
the  reply,  /  shall  or  /  shall  not;  Will  you  go?  shows 
that  the  speaker  expects  a  reply  of  determination, 
/  will  or  /  will  not 

She,  see  Her 


DI  CT  ION  III 

Should,  ought  not  to  be  used  for  to:  e.g.,  J  want  you' 
should  [to]  do  this.  (See  also  Want.)  As  between 
should  and  would,  see  Shall.  The  same  usage  ob- 
tains, except  that  sometimes  should  is  used  in  the 
sense  of  ought:  e.g.,  He  should  be  here  now;  and 
would  sometimes  signifies  habitual  action:  e.g., 
Whenever  the  name  was  mentioned  he  would  speak 
slightingly  of  him 

Show,  should  not  be  used  for  play:  e.g.,  /  went  to  a 
show  last  evening;  nor  in  the  sense  of  chance:  e.g., 
He  has  an  excellent  show  of  winning 

Show  up,  is  a  vulgarism  when  used  for  expose 

Since,  should  not  be  used  for  ago.  Say,  How  long  ago 
rather  than  How  long  since 

Size  up,  is  a  vulgarism  when  used  for  estimate 

So,  should  be  used  sparingly  to  modify  an  adjective: 
e.g.,  I  feel  so  unhappy.  It  should  not  be  used  for  so 
that:  e.g.,  /  wrote  him  so  [that]  he  understood 

So  .  .  .  as,  is  required,  rather  than  the  correlatives 
as  ...  as  in  negative  statements:  e.g.,  James  is 
not  as  [so]  clever  as  John 

Some,  should  not  be  used  for  somewhat:  e.g.,  The 
patient  is  so  me  [what]  better 

Some  place,  should  be  written  somewhere 

Sort,  see  Kind 

Sort  of,  should  not  be  used  for  rather:  e.g.,  /  feel  sort  of 
tired  is  incorrect.     See  also  Kind  of 

Splendid,  should  not  be  used  for  fine  or  skilful.  It 
implies  "splendor" 

Start,  should  not  be  used  for  begin:  e.g.,  He  started 
[began]  to  speak 

Stop,  should  not  be  used  for  stay:  e.g.,  /  am  stopping 
[staying]  with  my  uncle  while  in  San  Francisco 

Take,  is  superfluous  in  connection  with  other  verbs: 
e.g.,  Suppose  we  [take  and]  use  the  drawings  we  have. 
It  should  not  be  confused  with  bring:  e.g.,  /  will 
bring  [take]  it  home  with  me;  I  will  take  [bring]  the 
book  to  you  tomorrow 


112      THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

Take  stock  in,  is  a  slang  expression  not  recognized  by 
good  usage.     Say  rely  on  or  trust  in 

Tense:  errors  are  often  made  by  neglecting  the  prin- 
ciple that  the  time  of  the  recorded  action  in  the  sub- 
ordinate portion  of  a  sentence  is  relative  to  the  time 
of  the  principal  clause.  The  tense  of  the  dependent 
verb,  therefore,  is  determined  by  its  relation  to  the 
verb  on  which  it  depends:  e.g.,  I  meant  to  have  done 
it  should  be  /  meant  to  do  it;  He  expected  to  have 
told  him  should  be  He  expected  to  tell  him.  A  com- 
mon mistake  is  made  in  replying  to  formal  invita- 
tions: e.g.,  Mr.  Robert  Gorham  regrets  that  a  previous 
engagement  will  prevent  [prevents]  him  from  accepting;. 
Mr.  Gorham  will  be  [is]  happy  to  accept 

That,  see  Which 

Them,  is  often  misused  for  they:    e.g.,  It  is  them  [they] 

They,  see  Them 

This,  should  not  be  used  as  an  adverb.  Say,  Thus 
much  is  clear  rather  than  This  much  is  clear,  and 
Having  said  thus  much  [or  as  much  as  this]  .  .  .  rather 
than  Having  said  this  much  .  .  . 

Through,  should  not  be  used  for  finished.  Say,  He  has 
finished  speaking  rather  than  He  is  through  speaking 

Too,  alone  should  not  modify  a  past  participle:    e.g 
He  was  too  [much]  excited  to  reply 

Treat,  should  be  followed  by  of  rather  than  on:    e.g 
This  volume  treats  of  conditions  in  China 

Try,  should  be  followed  by  to  rather  than  and:    e.g 
/  will  try  and  [to]  get  the  information  you  desire 


•i 


•> 


•j 


Ugly,  should  not  be  used  in  the  sense  of  vicious  or 
malicious.  It  means  "  repulsive  to  the  eye."  A  color 
may  be  ugly,  but  an  ill-tempered  dog  is  vicious 

Verbs:  should  not  be  omitted:  e.g.,  He  could  do  it  if 
he  wished  to  [do  it] 

Very,  should  be  used  sparingly.  Foreigners  say  that 
America  is  a  country  of  superlatives,  —  if  anything 
is  good,  it  is  very  good,  and  if  bad,  it  is  very  bad.     Too 


DICTION  113 

much  emphasis  weakens  conversation  or  writing  and 

defeats  its  object 
Visitor,  is  a  human  caller;   visitant,  a  supernatural  one 
Vocation,  means  "calling"  or  "profession";  avocation, 

means  an  interest  outside  one's  profession 

Want,  should  not  be  used  in  the  sense  of  wish:  e.g.,  J 
want  it  really  means  "I  feel  the  want  of  it,"  or  "/ 
lack  it."  An  example  of  the  correct  use  of  both 
words  is,  China  wishes  the  cooperation  of  the  United 
States,  —  a  cooperation  which  is  at  present  wanting 

Way,  should  not  be  used  for  away 

What,  is  often  misused  for  that:  e.g.,  He  has  no  doubt 
but  what  [that]  he  will  succeed 

Whence,  means  "  from  where."     Do  not  say  from  whence 

Which,  should  not  be  used  with  a  clause  as  its  ante- 
cedent: e.g.,  He  replied  hotly,  which  was  a  mistake 
should  be  He  replied  hotly;  this  was  a  mistake.  Do 
not  use  which  (a  neuter  pronoun)  to  represent  a  mas- 
culine or  feminine  noun.  Say  whom.  Between  which 
and  that,  let  euphony  decide 

Who,  is  often  misused  for  whom  or  whose:  e.g.,  Who 
[whom]  did  you  wish  to  see?  Washington,  than  whom 
[whose]  no  greater  name  is  recorded  in  American 
history.  Impersonal  objects  should  be  referred  to 
by  which  rather  than  who 

Whom,  see  Who  and  Which 

Will,  see  Shall 

Woman,  see  Gentleman 

Womanly,  means  "belonging  to  woman  as  woman"; 
womanish  means  "effeminate" 

Would,  see  Should 


LETTER    WRITING 


A: 


LTHOUGH  it  is  quite  improbable  that 
there  will  ever  be  a  return  to  the  painstaking, 
literary  art  of  letter  writing,  of  which  we 
have  so  many  admirable  examples  in  the 
past,  the  value  of  the  art  as  a  medium  of 
expressing  personality  must  always  be  recog- 
nized. The  force  of  business  competition 
has  introduced  short-cuts  in  business  cor- 
respondence which  are  regrettable  from  a 
literary  standpoint;  the  universal  use  of  the 
typewriter  has  altered  conditions;  the  mul- 
tiplicity of  social  demands  makes  impossible 
the  leisurely  written  and  carefully  considered 
letters  between  friends  which  used  to  be  a 
valued  expression  of  friendship  itself.  These 
changes  in  conditions  have  been  inevitable, 
but  they  do  not  explain  the  carelessness  and 
the  evidences  of  ignorance  of  even  simple 
rules  of  expression  and  arrangement  which 
are  too  frequently  apparent  in  the  letters 
even  of  those  whose  position  in  life  demands 
more,  in  this  respect,  than  they  seem  able 
or  willing  to  give.  For  this  reason  the  present 
writer  does  not  hesitate  to  resort  to  elemen- 
tary outlines  in  making  clear  the  basis  upon 
which  the  art  of  letter  writing  rests. 

114 


LETTER    WRITING  115 

THE  HEADING 

1.  Business.  —  1.  The  stationery  of  a  busi- 
ness house  invariably  contains  in  its  printed 
heading  the  name  of  the  house  and  the  loca- 
tion of  the  business,  with  a  space  for  filling  in 
the  date.  The  arrangement,  therefore,  is  arbi- 
trarily and  usually  correctly  fixed.  The  name 
of  the  city  or  town,  with  street  address,  if  re- 
quired, comes  first,  occupying  one  or  two  lines, 
followed  by  the  date,  always  at  the  right,  either 
in  the  same  line  or  in  a  line  by  itself:  e.g., 

Boston,  12  March,  1912 
or 
189  State  St.,  Boston 

12  March,  191 2 

2.  If  there  is  no  punctuation  at  the  ends 
of  the  printed  lines,  there  should  be  no  point 
used  after  the  date. 

3.  The  number  of  the  day  should  not  be 
followed  by  st,  nd,  rd,  d,  or  th:  e.g.,  12  March, 
not  12th  March. 

II.  Informal.  —  1.  There  is  considerable 
latitude  in  the  heading  in  informal  or  friendly 
letters.  The  address  of  the  writer  may  be 
placed  at  the  beginning  or  the  end  of  the 
letter,  or  omitted  altogether  if  well-known 
to  the  addressee. 

2.  The  date  may  be  at  the  beginning  or 
the  end,  but  should  never  be  omitted. 

III.  Formal.  —  1.  In  formal  letters  the  place 
and  date  should  be  written  at  the  end,  on 
the  left. 


Il6       THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

THE  ADDRESS 

1.  Business.  —  i.  The  name  and  address  of 
the  addressee  should  be  placed  at  the  begin- 
ning of  every  business  letter,  on  the  left, 
immediately  preceding  the  salutation.  It 
should  be  in  two  or  three  lines,  the  indention 
being  either  blocked1  or  en  echelon1:  e.g., 

Messrs.  Smith,  Robinson  &  Co. 

713  Chestnut  Street 

Philadelphia,  Pa.  {blocked)  or 

Messrs.  Smith,  Robinson  &  Co.  {en  echelon)  or 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Messrs.  Smith,  Robinson  &  Co. 

713  Chestnut  Street  {en  echelon) 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 

II.  Informal.  —  1.  The  same  latitude  is 
allowed  here  as  in  the  matter  of  the  date.  It 
is  customary,  however,  to  omit  the  address  in 
informal  or  friendly  correspondence. 

III.  Formal.  —  1.  The  address  is  always 
placed  at  the  end  in  formal  letters,  on  the 
left,  below  the  place  and  date.  Its  arrange- 
ment may  be  blocked 2  or  en  echelon,2  but 
this  should  be  the  same  arrangement  as  that 
adopted  for  the  place  and  the  address. 

2.  In  making  reply  to  formal  invitations, 
the  address  of  the  addressee  is  omitted. 

THE   SALUTATION 

I.  Business.  —  1.  The  salutation  should  be 
so  written  as  to  line  with  the  first  line  of  the 
address,  on  the  left. 

1  See  page  56.  2  See  page  56. 


LETTER    WRITING  117 

2.  Ordinarily  it  should  occupy  a  line  by 
itself,  but  when  the  address  requires  three 
lines,  the  salutation  may  be  made  a  part  of 
the  body  of  the  letter,  being  followed  by  a 
colon  and  a  dash:    e.g.,  Gentlemen:  — 

3.  When  the  salutation  is  in  a  line  by  itself 
it  calls  for  a  comma  if  the  letter  is  informal, 
and  for  a  colon  if  it  is  formal. 

4.  The  proper  form  of  the  salutation  is 
Gentlemen,  Dear  Sir{s),  My  dear  Sir  (if  the 
letter  is  signed  by  an  individual  name),  Dear 
Madam  or  My  dear  Madam  (to  a  married  or 
single  woman),  Ladies. 

5.  The  proper  capitalization  is  here  shown. 

II.  Informal.  —  1.  The  salutation  Dear  Sir 
is  less  formal  than  My  dear  Sir,  although  in 
England  the  opposite  opinion  prevails. 

2.  The  capitalization  is  the  same  as  in 
business  letters;  i.e.,  the  first  word  and  the 
word  which  stands  in  place  of  the  person's 
name  are  capitalized:  e.g.,  My  own  dear 
Sister,  My  dear  Aunt  Mary,  or  Dear  John, 
My  dear  Friend. 

3.  In  an  informal  letter  the  comma  is  usually 
used  after  the  salutation. 

4.  Do  not  use  abbreviations  in  the  saluta- 
tion: e.g.,  write  Dear  Doctor  Smith,  not  Dear 
Dr.  Smith. 

5.  Do  not  omit  the  salutatory  phrase: 
Friend  James,  or  Mr.  James  Smith  is  too  abrupt. 

III.  Formal.  —  1.  A  letter  to  the  President 
of    the    United    States    or    to    King    George 


Il8       THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

should  have  the  salutation  Sir;  to  the  Pope, 
Your  Holiness;  to  the  Vice-President,  Mr. 
Vice-President,  Sir;  to  a  duke,  My  Lord 
Duke;  to  a  baron,  My  Lord;  to  a  cardinal, 
Your  Eminence;  to  an  archbishop  in  England, 
My   Lord   Archbishop,  in  the   United  States, 

The  Most  Reverend ,  Sir;    to  a  bishop  in 

England,  My  Lord  Bishop,  in  the  United 
States,  Most  Reverend  Sir;  to  a  dean  or  to  an 
archdeacon,  Reverend  Sir;  to  a  senator,  con- 
gressman, mayor,  or  judge,  Sir  or  Dear  Sir;  to 

an  ambassador,  To  the Ambassador,  Sir. 

2.  A  colon  should  follow  the  salutation 
in  formal  letters. 

THE  TEXT   OF  THE  LETTER 

I.  Business.1 — i.  The  idea  that  curtness 
and  brevity  are  essential  characteristics  of  a 
business  letter  exists  now  only  in  the  minds 
of  the  inexperienced,  the  ignorant,  or  the 
careless.  One  still  finds  stock  phrases  and 
omitted  articles  to  a  surprising  extent,  —  so 
much  so  that  a  well-written  business  letter 
carries  with  it  more  weight  because  of  the 
contrast  which  it  offers.  The  writers  of  the 
best  business  letters  today  lose  no  time  in 
getting  to  the  point,  but  they  extend  to  their 
correspondent  the  courtesy  of  correct  diction. 
Arrangement,  punctuation,  spelling,  and 
grammar  reflect  favorably  or  otherwise  upon 
the  reputation  of  the  house. 

1  See  example  i  on  page  126. 


LETTER   WRITING  119 

2.  Avoid  such  monotonous  expressions  as 
the  following:  (a)  Yours,  your  favor,  your 
esteemed  favor;  write  letter,  (b)  12th  inst., 
12th,  recent  date;  write  12  March,  (c)  I  will 
say,  I  would  say,  I  can  say;  write  Allow  me 
to  say,  or  omit  it  altogether,  (d)  In  reply 
would  say;  write  In  reply  I  would  say,  or 
In  reply  allow  me  to  say.  (e)  Same,  the  same; 
write  it  or  they.  (/)  Please  find  enclosed; 
write  /  enclose,  (g)  Hoping  to  hear  soon, 
thanking  you  in  advance,  awaiting  your  response, 
and  oblige  have  all  become  hackneyed. 
Omit  them  unless  bearing  specifically  upon 
the  text  of  the  letter. 

3.  Do  not  omit  /  or  We  in  such  expressions 
as,  Beg  x  to  acknowledge,  Have  been  awaiting 
your  advice. 

4.  Do  not  use  the  first  person  singular 
when  the  letter  is  signed  by  the  firm  name. 

5.  Do  not  say  the  writer  in  one  portion  of 
the  letter  and  /  in  another. 

6.  In  arrangement,  the  first  line  of  the  text 
should  begin  on  the  line  below  the  salutation, 
indented  about  one  inch,  and  each  paragraph 
should  be  similarly  indented.2  Another  style, 
particularly  useful  when  the  letter  covers 
several  distinct  subjects,  is  to  use  the  reverse 
indention,  with  subheads  in  capitals  at  the 
extreme  left.3 


1  This  should  be  Beg  leave  to  acknowledge. 

2  See  example  1  on  page  1 26. 

3  See  example  2  on  page  126. 


120      THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

II.  Informal.1 — i.  However  informal  or 
friendly,  a  letter  should  tell  what  it  has  to 
say  in  a  straightforward,  coherent  manner. 
Apologies  for  delay  in  writing,  or  for  anything 
else  except  illness,  absence  from  town,  or 
other  cause  which  demands  explanation,  are 
wasteful  of  paper,  ink,  and  the  time  of  two 
persons. 

2.  A  general  fault  in  informal  letters  is  the 
paragraphing  and  punctuation.  The  writer 
should  remember  that  he  is  trying  to  express 
to  another  mental  ideas  which  have  no  oppor- 
tunity to  become  crystallized  by  the  sound 
of  the  voice.  He  should  take  especial  pains 
to  assist  his  correspondent  in  assimilating 
the  thoughts  which  he  expresses,  by  not  run- 
ning different  topics  together,  and  by  sepa- 
rating phrases  and  sentences  with  their  proper 
marks. 

III.  Formal.  —  i.  The  expedient  of  writing 
in  the  third  person  is  adopted  in  formal  social 
correspondence.2  Notes  of  this  kind  should 
have  no  heading,  address,  complimentary 
close,  or  signature.  The  date  alone,  omitting 
the  year,  is  used,  being  placed  at  the  end  on 
the  left.  No  abbreviations  other  than  Mr., 
Mrs.,  Messrs.,  and  Dr.  should  be  used.  The 
date  should  be  spelled  out  in  full. 

2.    Notes  written  to  tradespeople  3  convey- 

1  See  example  3  on  page  127. 

2  See  example  4  on  page  127. 

3  See  example  5  on  page  1 28. 


LETTER    WRITING  121 

ing  orders  or  instructions  are  also  frequently 
written  in  the  third  person.  In  this  case, 
however,  the  address  is  always  given  at  the 
end  on  the  left,  and  the  date,  using  figures, 
is  also  employed.     There  is  no  signature. 

THE   COMPLIMENTARY  CLOSE 

1.  Business.  —  i.  The  accepted  forms  of 
complimentary  closes  of  business  letters  are 
Yours  truly,  and  Yours  very  truly.  The 
forms  Respectfully  yours,  Your  obedient  ser- 
vant, and  Faithfully  yours  are  now  regarded  as 
too  obsequious. 

2.  The  complimentary  close  should  begin 
in  the  middle  of  a  line  by  itself,  below  the 
concluding  words  of  the  text. 

3.  The  first  word  alone  should  be  capi- 
talized. 

4.  A  comma  should  be  placed  at  end  of 
the  line. 

5.  Do  not  abbreviate  any  of  the  words  in 
the  complimentary  close.  Avoid  such  con- 
tractions as  YJrs  for  Yours. 

6.  Expressions  used  to  introduce  the  com- 
plimentary close,  such  as  With  kind  regards, 
I  am,  Believe  me,  Good-bye,  etc.,  should  be 
treated  as  part  of  the  concluding  line  of  the 
text  only  when  closely  related  to  the  final 
sentence;  otherwise  they  occupy  a  separate 
line. 

II.  Informal.  —  1.  The  nature  of  the  com- 
plimentary   close    of    informal    or    friendly 


122      THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

letters  depends  upon  the  degree  of  intimacy 
which  exists  between  the  correspondents. 
The  usual  forms  are,  Yours  sincerely,  or 
Yours  very  truly,  but  they  may  properly  be 
used  as  expressions  of  affection,  as  Your 
devoted  husband,  or    Your  loving  daughter. 

III.  Formal.  —  i.  There  is  no  complimen- 
tary close  to  formal  notes  written  in  the  third 
person. 

2.  The  complimentary  closes  to  formal 
letters  addressed  to  persons  in  high  positions 
are  as  follows:  to  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  /  have  the  honor  to  be,  Sir,  your  most 
obedient  servant;  to  King  George,  I  have  the 
honor  to  be,  Sir,  Your  Majesty }s  most  obedient 
servant.  This  form  is  modified  as  the  rank 
of  the  person  addressed  becomes  less  impor- 
tant. To  a  congressman,  for  instance,  one 
would  say  no  more  than,  J  have  the  honor  to  be. 

THE   SIGNATURE 

i.  The  signature  should  be  written  on  a 
line  by  itself,  a  little  to  the  right  of  the  com- 
plimentary close. 

2.  Women  should  always  sign  their  full 
names  or  indicate  in  brackets  how  they 
should  be  addressed.  Any  one  of  the  follow- 
ing forms  is  proper: 

a.  (Miss)  M.  L.  Brown 

b.  (Mrs.)  Ellen  M.  Brown 

c.  Ellen  M.  Brown 
(Mrs.  J.  H.  Brown) 


LETTER   WRITING  123 

3.  In  letters  to  all  except  the  family  or 
intimate  friends  the  Christian  name  and  the 
surname  should  be  signed  in  full. 

THE  ENVELOPE 

1.  The  arrangement  of  the  address  upon 
the  envelope  is  largely  a  matter  of  taste. 
It  usually  occupies  three  or  four  lines,  written 
en  echelon,1  but  some  writers  prefer  the 
blocked2  formation. 

2.  In  business  letters  the  word  street  and 
the  name  of  the  state  may  be  abbreviated, 
but  in  formal  and  informal  letters  it  is  better 
form  to  spell  out  in  full. 

3.  Legibility  is  even  more  essential  in  the 
address  than  in  the  letter  itself. 

4.  It  is  good  form  to  write  the  street  and 
number  or  the  postoffice  box  in  the  lower 
left-hand  corner. 

5.  The  abbreviations  No.  and  $  before  the 
figures  in  the  street  address  should  be  omitted. 

6.  In  care  of  should  be  written  out  in  full. 

7.  The  stamp  should  always  be  placed  in 
the  upper  right-hand  corner,  as  a  convenience 
to  the  postoffice  officials.  Care  should  be 
taken  to  affix  the  stamp  neatly,  as  careless- 
ness in  this  respect  reflects  upon  the  sender. 

8.  Punctuation  may  be  omitted  at  the 
ends  of  the  lines;  otherwise  use  a  comma, 
except  at  the  end  of  the  last  line. 

1  See  page  56. 

2  See  page  56. 


124      THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

9.  The  title  Esq.  is  more  complimentary 
than  Mr.,  and  the  former  should  always  be 
used  when  addressing  men  holding  a  college 
degree  or  of  social  standing.  In  formal  social 
addresses  Mr.  (or  Dr.,  etc.)  is  always  used. 

10.  In  addressing  envelopes  to  persons  in 
high  positions  the  following  forms  should  be 
used:  To  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
The  President.  Executive  Mansion,  Washing- 
ton, D.  C;  to  King  George,  His  Majesty,  the 
King,  London  (omit  England,  as  this  is  con- 
sidered a  provincialism);  to  the  Pope,  His 
Holiness,  Pope  Pius  X.,  Rome  (omit  Italy)', 
to  a  member  of  the  Cabinet,  To  the  Honorable 
the  Secretary  of  State;    to  a  duke,   His  Grace, 

the    Duke   of ;     to   a   baron,    The    Right 

Honorable,  the  Lord ;    to   a  cardinal,   To 

His  Eminence,  William  Cardinal  O'Connell; 
to  an  archbishop  in  England,  The  Most 
Reverend  His  Grace  the  Lord  Arch- 
bishop of ;    to  a  bishop  in  England,  The 

Right  Reverend   the  Lord  Bishop  of ,  in 

the  United  States,  The  Right  Reverend 
(Christian  and  surname),  adding  honorary 
titles;     to    a    dean    in    England,     The    Very 

Reverend  the  Dean  of ;    to  an  archdeacon 

in  England,  The  Venerable  the  Archdeacon 
(surname);  to  a  senator,  congressman,  mayor, 
or  judge,  Honorable  (Christian  and  surname); 
to  a  governor,  His  Excellency,  the  Governor  of 

;     to    an    ambassador,     His    Excellency 

the  British  Ambassador. 


LETTER   WRITING  11$ 

POSTAL   CARDS 

i.  Postal  cards  have  become  much  more 
common  during  the  past  few  years,  the  pic- 
torial variety  being  particularly  popular. 
The  prejudice  against  their  use  has  largely 
disappeared. 

2.  Postal  cards  do  not  require  salutation 
or  complimentary  close. 

IN   GENERAL 

i .  Use  black  ink  and  never  use  a  pencil,  even 
in  friendly  letters,  except  in  an  emergency. 

2.  Do  not  practise  economy  of  paper  by 
writing  in  the  margin. 

3.  Fold  the  letter  so  that  when  taken  from 
the  envelope  it  will  open  right-side  up. 

4.  Never  omit  the  date  from  any  note  or 
letter,  however  unimportant. 

5.  In  brief  letters  the  first  and  fourth 
or  first  and  third  pages  may  be  written  upon, 
leaving  the  others  blank. 

6.  Avoid  postscripts  except  in  an  emer- 
gency. 

7.  Unruled  paper  should  be  used  for  all 
correspondence. 

8.  Typewritten  letters  are  permissible  only 
in  business  correspondence,  and  even  in  these 
the  signature  should  be  written  by  hand. 

9.  Any  evidence  of  haste  is  a  discourtesy. 
Never  sign  a  letter,    Yours  in  haste. 

10.  Underscoring  is  permissible  only  in 
informal  letters  and  should  be  used  sparingly. 


126      THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 


EXAMPLES   OF   CORRECT  LETTER  WRITING 

i.  Business  Letter  I 

NORWOOD,   MASS., 

12  March,  191 2 

MESSRS.   FREDERICK   A.    STOKES   CO. 
443  Fourth  Ave. 

New  York,  N.Y. 

Gentlemen  : 

Your  letter  of  1 1  March  is  at  hand,  and  we  acknowledge 
receipt  of  the  MS.  of  "The  Writer's  Desk  Book,"  together 
with  your  detailed  instructions.  The  MS.  shall  be  put 
into  type  without  delay,  and  galley  proofs  shall  be  sent  to 
the  author  in  accord  with  your  advice.  We  expect  to 
complete  the  typesetting  within  two  weeks'  time. 

Thanking  you  for  the  order,  we  are 

Yours  very  truly, 

The  Plimpton  Press 


2.   Business  Letter  II  (reverse  indention) 

443  Fourth  Ave.,  NEW  YORK,  N.  Y. 
25  March,  191 2 
THE   PLIMPTON   PRESS 

Norwood,  Mass. 

Gentlemen  : 

We  beg  leave  to  take  up  with  you  the  various  details  of 

manufacture    relating  to   the   various  books  in  your 

hands,  as  follows: 
Writer's  Desk  Book:  In  addition  to  the  proofs  which 

you  are  now  sending  to  the  author,  please  send    two 

additional  sets  of  galley  and  page  proof  to  us. 
Meissonier:    The    sample    page    which   you    submit   is 

accepted.     We  shall  require  two  sets  of  page-proof  only. 
Maxims   of   Methuselah:    Please   print   an   edition   of 

5000  copies,  using  paper  which  you  have  in  stock  for  us. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Frederick  A.  Stokes  Co. 


LETTER   WRITING  127 

3.    Informal  or  Friendly  Letter 

Nice, 
August  28,  1857 
My  dear  Enthusiast, 

Again  I  request  your  kind  offices  by  the  enclosed  note, 
in  giving  it  or  forwarding  it  to  my  brother.  Charles  and  I 
have  been  much  gratified  in  reading  aloud  —  he  reading 
to  me  while  I  work  —  the  life  of  Shakespeare  by  Thomas 
Campbell.  It  is  put  together  in  a  most  pleasant  spirit, 
which  all  the  biographies  are  not.  But  a  poet  is  sure  to 
write  well  on  a  poet.  Everything  that  Coleridge,  for 
instance,  says  of  our  Idol  is  in  charming  taste;  and  also 
Barry  Cornwall's  Memoir  and  Essay  on  Shakespeare  and 
his  Writings  has  the  same  delightful  poetic  charm.  After 
reading  the  heap  of  inappreciative  discussions  on  the  sub- 
ject, it  is  truly  refreshing  to  go  through  the  dissertations 
of  such  authors  as  these  upon  our  poet  of  poets.  They 
can  best  feel  his  merits,  and  can  therefore  most  vener- 
atingly  and  modestly  treat  the  theme  of  his  genius  and 
greatness. 

With  united  kindest  regards  from  Charles  and  myself 
to  you  and  Mrs.  Balmanno,  believe  me  to  be 

Gratefully, 

Mary  Cowden  Clarke 

Robert  Balmanno,  Esq. 

New  York,  N.  Y. 

4.  Formal  Social  Notes 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  Winslow 
request  the  pleasure  of  Mr.  James 
Gorham's  company  at  dinner  on 
Thursday  evening,  January  the 
twelfth,  at  half  after  seven  o'clock. 
487  Beacon  Street 

January  the  fourth 1 


1  While  this  form  is  commonly  used,  it  is  not  grammatically  correct. 
One  may  say  George  the  Fourth,  because  three  Georges  have  preceded 
him.     Strictly  speaking,  one  should  write  The  fourth  of  January. 


128      THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

Mr.  James  Gorham  regrets  that 
an  engagement  previously  made 
prevents x  him  from  accepting  the 
kind  invitation  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Winslow  for  dinner  on  Thursday 
evening,  January  the  twelfth. 

289  Commonwealth  Avenue 
January  the  fifth 

5.  Formal  Note  to  Tradesman 

Mrs.  Gorham  desires  Messrs.  Smith 
&  Robinson  to  send  for  her  exami- 
nation the  electric  ironing  apparatus 
advertised  in  this  morning's  "Herald." 

312  Sigourney  Street 
12  January,  191 2 

04  note  of  this  kind  should  always  have  the  address.) 


1  See  under  Tense  on  page  112. 


POSTAL  REGULATIONS 

CLASSES   OF   MAIL 


D 


OMESTIC  matter  is  divided  into  four 
classes,  governed  as  follows: 

First  Class  embraces  letters,  postal  cards, 
post  cards,  all  matter  wholly  or  partly  in 
writing  or  sealed  against  inspection.  Rate, 
2  cents  for  each  ounce  and  fraction.  Limit 
of  weight,  4  pounds. 

Second  Class  applies  to  newspapers  and 
periodicals  in  their  entirety  bearing  the 
printed  statement  "  Entered  at  the  post- 
office  as  second-class  matter,"  etc.,  when 
they  are  mailed  by  the  public.  Parts  of 
publications  are  third-class  matter.  Addi- 
tions may  be  made  on  the  wrapper  or  the 
matter  itself;  there  may  be  written  or  printed 
the  name  and  address  of  the  sender,  preceded 
by  the  word  "from";  the  name  and  address 
of  the  person  to  whom  sent;  the  words 
"sample  copy"  or  "marked  copy,"  or  both, 
as  the  case  may  be.  On  the  matter  itself 
the  sender  may  place  all  that  is  permitted 
on  the  wrapper;  correct  typographical  errors  in 
the  text;    designate  by  marks,  not  by  words, 

129 


130      THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

a  word  or  passage  in  the  text  to  which  it  is 
desired  to  call  attention.  Other  writing  will 
subject  the  package  to  the  first-class  rate. 

Rate  i  cent  for  each  4  ounces  or  fraction, 
Full  prepayment  required.  No  limit  of 
weight. 

Third  Class  includes  unsealed  books,  news- 
papers and  periodicals  not  admitted  to  the 
second  class,  circulars,  miscellaneous  printed 
matter  on  paper  not  having  the  nature  of 
personal  correspondence,  and  proof  sheets, 
corrected  proof  sheets,  and  manuscript  copy 
accompanying  the  same,  engravings,  litho- 
graphs, seeds,  scions,  cuttings,  bulbs,  roots, 
and  plants.  Also  facsimile  copies  made  by 
a  mechanical  process  such  as  the  printing 
press,  electric  pen,  mimeograph,  hektograph, 
copygraph,  etc.,  provided  that  they  are  mailed 
at  the  post-office  window  in  the  minimum 
number  of  twenty  identical  copies  separately 
addressed.  If  mailed  elsewhere  or  in  less 
number,  first-class  postage  is  required. 

A  circular  may  have  in  writing  therein  the 
name  of  the  addressee  or  sender  or  date. 

Corrections  in  proof  sheets  include  the 
alteration  of  the  text  and  insertion  of  new 
matter,  as  well  as  the  correction  of  typograph- 
ical and  other  errors.  They  include  also  mar- 
ginal instructions  to  the  printer  necessary 
to  the  correction  of  the  matter  or  its  proper 
appearance  in  print.  Part  of  an  article  may 
be  entirely  rewritten  if  that  be  necessary  for 


POSTAL    REGULATIONS       131 

correction.  Corrections  must  be  upon  the 
margin  of  or  attached  to  the  proof  sheets. 
Manuscript  of  one  article  cannot  be  inclosed 
with  proof  or  corrected  proof  sheets  of 
another  except  at  the  first-class  rate.  Written 
designation  of  contents,  such  as  "book," 
'printed  matter,"  "photo,"  is  permissible 
upon  the  wrapper  of  mail  matter  of  the  third 
class. 

A  single  card  bearing  the  written  name  and 
address  of  the  sender,  or  an  envelope  bearing 
a  written  or  printed  name  and  address  of 
the  sender,  may  be  inclosed  with  a  circular, 
catalogue,  or  other  third-class  matter  with- 
out affecting  the  classification  thereof.  Pub- 
lic library  books,  otherwise  mailable  at  the 
third-class  rate,  may  bear  any  printed  or 
written  mark  which  may  reasonably  be  con- 
strued as  a  necessary  inscription  for  the  pur- 
pose of  a  permanent  library  record. 

Rate  1  cent  each  2  ounces  or  fraction. 
Limit  of  weight,  4  pounds,  except  single  books. 
Postage  must  be  fully  prepaid  and  great  care 
exercised  not  to  add  any  written  words  or 
figures  except  such  as  are  permissible. 

Parcel  Post  includes  all  (unsealed)  matter 
not  embraced  in  the  three  classes  already  enu- 
merated, except  seeds,  cuttings,  bulbs,  roots, 
scions,  and  plants,  on  which  the  rate  is  one-half 
cent  per  ounce.  Important  changes  are  certain 
to  be  made  from  time  to  time  during  the  experi- 
mental period,  so  readers  are  urged  to  secure  the 


132      THE    WRITER     S    DESK    BOOK 

latest    information    from    their   own  post-office. 
The  basic  regulations  at  present  are  as  follows: 

SPECIAL  STAMPS  REQUIRED.     Denominations  i,  2,  3,  4, 

5,  10,  15,  20,  25,  50  and  75c.  $1. 
WEIGHT  LIMIT:   Eleven  (11)  pounds. 
SIZE  LIMIT:  72  inches,  length  and  girth  combined. 
PARCELS  MAY  BE  INSURED  up  to  $50.00  by  paying  a  fee 

of  10  cents. 
RATES  PER   POUND:   Depend  on  distance  parcel  is  to  be 

carried.     See  Table  of  Rates  on  page  162. 
MARKING:  Parcels  must  bear  name  and  address  of  sender, 

preceded  by  word  "  From." 
MAILING:  Parcels   exceeding  4  ounces  in   weight  must  be 

mailed  at  post-office. 

WRAPPING  OF  MAIL  MATTER 

All  mail  matter  should  be  so  wrapped  as 
safely  to  bear  transmission  without  breaking, 
or  injuring  mail  bags  or  the  contents  of  mail 
bags  or  the  persons  of  those  handling  them. 
Second,  third,  and  fourth-class  matter  must  be 
so  wrapped  or  enveloped  that  the  contents  may 
be  examined  easily  by  postal  officials.  When 
not  so  wrapped,  or  when  bearing  or  containing 
writing  not  authorized  by  law,  the  matter  will 
be  treated  as  of  the  first  class. 

FORWARDING  MAIL  MATTER 

Matter  of  the  first  class  may  be  forwarded 
until  it  reaches  the  addressee.  All  other  classes 
require  prepayment  of  the  original  postage 
before  forwarding. 

WHAT   CANNOT  BE   MAILED 

All  transient  second-class  matter  and  all 
matter  of  the  third  or  fourth  class  not  wholly 


POSTAL    REGULATIONS       133 

prepaid,  and  letters  and  other  first-class 
matter  not  prepaid  are  full  rate  —  2  cents. 

All  matter  weighing  over  4  pounds,  except 
second-class  matter,  single  books,  and  docu- 
ments printed  and  circulated  by  authority  of 
Congress. 

Postal,  post,  or  other  cards  mailed  without 
wrappers  and  all  matter  bearing  upon  the 
outside  cover  or  wrapper  any  delineations, 
epithets,  terms,  or  language  of  an  indecent, 
lewd,  lascivious,  obscene,  libelous,  scurrilous, 
defamatory  or  threatening  character,  or  cal- 
culated by  the  terms  of  manner  or  style  of 
display,  and  obviously  intended  to  reflect 
injuriously  upon  the  character  or  conduct  of 
another. 

Post  cards  bearing  particles  of  glass,  metal, 
mica,  sand,  tinsel,  etc.,  are  unmailable. 

All  matter  concerning  any  lottery,  so-called 
gift  concert,  or  other  enterprise  of  chance, 
or  concerning  schemes  devised  for  the  pur- 
pose of  obtaining  money  or  property  under 
false  pretenses. 

CONCEALED   MATTER 

For  knowingly  concealing  or  inclosing  any 
matter  of  a  higher  class  in  that  of  a  lower 
class,  and  depositing  or  causing  the  same  to 
be  deposited  for  conveyance  by  mail  at  a  less 
rate  than  would  be  charged  for  both  such 
higher  and  lower  class,  the  offender  will  be 
liable  for  every  such  offense  to  a  fine  of  $10. 


134      THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 


DOMESTIC   RATES 

The  domestic  rates  apply  to  the  United 
States,  Porto  Rico,  Guam,  Philippine  Islands, 
Shanghai  (China),  Tutuila,  Cuba,  Canada,1 
Mexico,1  Hawaii,  Republic  of  Panama  and 
the  Panama  Canal  Zone. 

FOREIGN  RATES 

Mail  matter  addressed  to  countries  in  the 
Universal  Postal  Union  is  subject  to  the  fol- 
lowing rates:  Letters  and  sealed  packages, 
5  cents  for  one  ounce  or  fraction  thereof,  and 
3  cents  for  each  additional  ounce  or  fraction 
thereof,  if  prepaid,  and  double  that  rate  if  not 
prepaid,  except  Great  Britain,  and  Germany 
(if  sent  by  steamers  sailing  for  Germany 
direct),  which  is  2  cents  per  ounce. 

Postal  and  private  mail  cards,  2  cents 
each. 

Printed  matter  of  every  kind,  commercial 
papers,  samples  of  merchandise,  1  cent  each 
2  ounces  or  fraction  thereof,  but  at  least 
5  cents  must  be  paid  on  each  packet  of  com- 
mercial papers  and  2  cents  on  each  packet 
of  samples  of  merchandise. 

Mail  schedules  showing  the  name  of 
steamer,  hour  of  closing  of  the  mail  at  the 
General  Post-Office,  etc.,  may  be  found  in  the 
corridors  of  the  General  Post-Office  or  any 
of  its   stations. 


See  exceptions  which  follow. 


POSTAL    REGULATIONS       135 

Exceptions  for  Cuba,  Mexico,  Canada,  and 
Republic  of  Panama 

Matter  mailed  in  United  States  addressed 
to  Mexico  is  subject  to  the  same  postage 
rates  and  conditions  as  that  addressed  in  the 
United  States,  except  that  articles  of  mis- 
cellaneous merchandise  (fourth-class  matter) 
in  unsealed  packages  not  sent  as  bona  fide 
trade  samples  are  required  to  be  sent  by 
"  Parcels  Post,"  and  that  the  following 
articles  are  absolutely  excluded  from  the 
mails: 

All  sealed  packages  other  than  letters  in 
the  usual  form;  all  packages  (including 
packages  of  second-class  matter  which  weigh 
more  than  4  pounds  6  ounces),  except  such 
as  are  sent  by  parcels  post;  publications 
which  violate  any  copyright  law  of  Mexico. 

Samples  of  merchandise:  Packages  not 
in  excess  of  4  ounces,  2  cents.  Packages  in 
excess  of  4  ounces,  for  each  2  ounces  or  frac- 
tion thereof,  1  cent.  Limit  of  weight,  12 
ounces. 

Mail  matter  in  United  States  addressed  to 
Canada  and  Cuba  is  subject  to  same  postage 
rates  and  conditions  as  addressed  for  delivery 
in  United  States,  except  that  the  following 
articles  are  absolutely  excluded  from  the 
mails: 

All  packages  closed  against  inspection  and 
not  in  usual  form  of  a  letter;  all  packages, 
except    single    volumes    of    printed    books, 


136      THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

which  weigh  more  than  4  pounds  6  ounces; 
publications  which  violate  any  copyright 
law  of  Canada,  Cuba,  or  Republic  of  Panama. 
Unsealed  packages  of  "  commercial  papers" 
are  admitted  to  the  mails  dispatched  from  this 
country  to  Mexico  and  Canada  at  the  same 
rate  and  subject  to  the  same  conditions  as  to 
weight  and  dimensions  as  apply  to  com- 
mercial papers  in  mails  dispatched  to  other 
countries  of  Universal  Postal  Union. 

FOREIGN   PARCELS   POST 

Parcels  Post  conventions  are  in  effect  with 
the  following  countries,  the  rate  of  postage 
being  12  cents  a  pound  or  fraction:  Aus- 
tralia,1 Austria,1  Bahamas,  Barbadoes,1  Bel- 
gium,1 Bermuda,  Bolivia,  British  Guiana, 
British  Honduras,  Chili,  certain  places  in 
China;  Costa  Rica,  Denmark.1  Dutch 
Guiana  —  Parcels  cannot  be  registered.  Ecua- 
dor —  Parcels  must  not  exceed  $50  in  value. 
France  —  Parcels  cannot  be  registered  and 
must,  not  weigh  over  4  pounds  6  ounces  or 
exceed  $50  in  value.  Germany.  Great  Britain 
and  Ireland  —  Parcels  cannot  be  registered. 
Guatemala,  Honduras,  Hongkong,1  Hun- 
gary,1 Jamaica,  Japan.1  Mexico  —  Limit 
of  size,  2  feet  in  length,  4  feet  in  girth. 
Netherlands  1  —  Parcels  cannot  be  registered. 
Newfoundland,  New  Zealand,  Nicaragua, 
Norway,1  Peru,  Salvador,  Sweden,1  Trinidad. 

1  Parcels  not  to  exceed  $8p  in  value. 


POSTAL   REGULATIONS       137 

Uruguay  —  Parcels      cannot     be     registered. 
Venezuela,  Windward  Islands. 

Parcels  Post  packages  may  be  mailed  only 
at  the  main  post-office  or  at  branch  carrier 
stations  after  each  package  has  been  examined 
and  is  attached  to  a  parcels  post  declaration. 

MONEY   ORDER  FEES 

Fees  for  money  orders  payable  in  the  United 
States  (which  includes  Hawaii  and  Porto 
Rico)  and  its  possessions  comprising  the 
Canal  Zone  (Isthmus  of  Panama),  Guam,  the 
Philippines,  and  Tutuila,  Samoa;  also  for 
orders  payable  in  Bahamas,  Bermuda,  British 
Guiana,  British  Honduras,  Canada,  Cuba, 
Newfoundland,  at  the  United  States  postal 
agency  at  Shanghai  (China),  and  in  certain 
islands  in  the  West  Indies: 

Not  exceeding  $2.50 3c  Over  $30  to  $40 15c 

Over  $2.50  to  $5 5c  Over  $40  to  $50 18c 

Over  $5     to    $10 8c  Over  $50  to  $60 20c 

Over  $10  to    $20 ioc  Over  $60  to  $75 25c 

Over  $20  to    $30 12c  Over  $75  to  $100 30c 

Fees  for  International  Money  Orders 

When  payable  in  Apia,  Austria,  Belgium, 
Bolivia,  Chili,  Costa  Rica,  Denmark,  Egypt, 
Germany,  Hongkong,  Japan,  Liberia,  Lux- 
emburg, Mexico,  Netherlands,  New  Zea- 
land, Norway,  Orange  River  Colony,  Peru, 
Portugal,  Sweden,  Switzerland,  and  Trans- 
vaal: 


138      THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

Not  exceeding  $10 8c  Over  $50  to  $60 30c 

Over  $10  to  $20 ioc  Over  $60  to  $70 35c 

Over  $20  to  $30 15c  Over  $70  to  $80 40c 

Over  $30  to  $40 20c  Over  $80  to  $90 45c 

Over  $40  to  $50 25c  Over  $90  to  $100 50c 

When  payable  in  Cape  Colony,  France, 
Great  Britain,  Greece,  Republic  of  Honduras, 
Italy,  New  South  Wales,  Queensland,  Russia, 
Salvador,  South  Australia,  Tasmania,  and 
Victoria: 

Not  exceeding  $10 ioc    Over  $50  to  $60 60c 

Over  $10  to  $20 20c    Over  $60  to  $70 70c 

Over  $20  to  $30 30c    Over  $70  to  $80 80c 

Over  $30  to  $40 40c    Over  $80  to  $90 90c 

Over  $40  to  $50 50c    Over  $90  to  $100 $1 

REGISTERED   MAIL 

Domestic 

Any  article  of  the  first,  second,  third,  or 
fourth  class  mail  matter  may  be  registered 
at  any  post-office  in  the  United  States.  The 
fee  on  registered  matter,  domestic  or  foreign, 
is  10  cents  for  each  letter  or  parcel,  to  be 
affixed  in  stamps,  in  addition  to  the  post- 
age. Full  prepayment  of  postage  and  fee  is 
required.  Two  or  more  letters  or  parcels 
addressed  to,  or  intended  for,  the  same  per- 
son cannot  be  tied  or  otherwise  fastened 
together  and  registered  as  one. 

A  return  receipt  signed  by  the  recipient 
and  showing  delivery  is  returned  to  the  sender 
of  each  domestic  registered  letter  or  parcel  if 
requested  at  the  time  of  mailing. 


POSTAL    REGULATIONS       139 

If  it  is  desired  that  registered  matter  be 
delivered  to  the  addressee  only,  it  should  be 
endorsed  "  To  be  delivered  to  the  addressee 
only." 

The  postal  authorities  give  an  indemnity 
for  domestic  first-class  registered  mail  lost  in 
transit  up  to  $50. 

Foreign 

1.  Any  article  of  mail  matter,  except  par- 
cels post  packages  for  France,  The  Nether- 
lands, Uruguay,  Great  Britain,  Barbadoes, 
Dutch  Guiana,  may  be  registered,  provided 
that  when  presented  for  registration  the 
postage  thereon  be  fully  prepaid  by  postage 
stamps  affixed,  also  the  registration  fee, 
which  is  uniformly  10  cents. 

2.  Name  and  address  of  sender  in  full  must 
be  indorsed  on  or  written  across  the  end  of 
the  letter  or  article  before  it  can  be  registered. 

3.  The  senders  of  registered  articles  may 
obtain  assurance  of  their  receipt  by  persons 
addressed  by  indorsing  them  with  the  words, 
"  Return  receipt  requested. " 

SPECIAL   DELIVERY   SYSTEM 

A  special  10  cent  stamp,  when  attached  to 
a  letter  or  package  (in  addition  to  the  lawful 
postage),  will  entitle  such  to  immediate  de- 
livery at  destination  within  the  carrier  limit 
of  a  free  delivery  office  between  the  hours 
of    7  a.m.  and    11   p.m.,  and  from  7  a.m.  to 


140      THE   WRITER    S    DESK    BOOK 

7  p.m.  at  all  other  offices,  or  until  after  the 
arrival  of  the  last  mail  at  night,  provided 
that  be  not  later  than  9  p.m.  Special 
delivery  mail  must  be  delivered  on  Sunday, 
as  well  as  on  other  days,  if  post-office  is  open 
on  Sundays. 

If  special  delivery  matter  fails  of  delivery 
because  there  is  no  person  at  the  place  of 
address  to  receive  it,  the  matter  is  returned 
to  the  post-office  and  delivered  in  the  ordinary 
mail. 

Ten  cents  worth  of  ordinary  stamps  with 
special  delivery  "  written  on  envelope  serves 
the  same  purpose.  Short-paid  second,  third, 
and  fourth  class  matter,  to  which  is  attached 
a  special  delivery  stamp,  cannot  be  for- 
warded. 

POSTAL   DISTANCES    AND   TIME    FROM 
NEW   YORK   CITY 

Shortest  Routes  and  Time  in  Transit  by  Fastest  Trains 
Subject  to  alterations  occasioned  by  changes  in  time  tables  and  connections 


u 


Cities  in  U.  S. 

Mis. 

Hrs. 

Cities  in  U.  S. 

Mis. 

Hrs. 

Albany,  N.  Y. 

142 

3f 

Cleveland,  0. 

568 

19J 

Atlanta,  Ga. 

882 

24! 

Columbus,  0. 

624 

20 

Baltimore,  Md. 

138 

6 

Concord,  N.  H. 

292 

9i 

Bismarck,  N.  Dak. 

1738 

60* 

Deadwood,  S.  Dak. 

1957 

65* 

Boise,  Idaho 

2736 

922 

Denver,  Col. 

1930 

6ij 

Boston,  Mass. 

217 

6 

Des  Moines,  la. 

1257 

37§ 

Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

410 

9* 

Detroit,  Mich. 

743 

21 

Cape  May,  N.  J. 

172 

5 

Galveston,  Tex. 

1789 

5&i 

Carson  City,  Nev. 

3036 

109} 

Harrisburg,  Pa. 

182 

6 

Charleston,  S.  C. 

804 

21I 

Hartford,  Ct. 

112 

4 

Chattanooga,  Ten. 

853 

32 

Helena,  Mont. 

2423 

89 

Cheyenne,  Wyo. 

1 899 

54 

Hot  Springs,  Ark. 

1367 

55 

Chicago,  111. 

900 

23 

Indianapolis,  Ind. 

808 

23 

Cincinnati,  0. 

744 

23 

Jacksonville,  Fla. 

1077 

30 

POSTAL    REGULATIONS       141 


Postal   Distances  and  Time  from  New  York  City 

(Continued) 


Cities  in  U.  S. 

Mis. 

Hrs. 

Cities  in  U.  S. 

Mis. 

Hrs. 

Kansas  City,  Mo. 

1302 

38i 

St.  Louis,  Mo. 

1048 

29 

Louisville,  Ky. 

854 

30 

St.  Paul,  Minn. 

1300 

37 

Memphis,  Tenn. 

1 163 

40 

Salt  Lake  City,  U. 

2452 

7i* 

Milwaukee,  Wis. 

98s 

29i 

San  Francisco,  Cal. 

3250 

105 

Montgomery,  Ala. 

1057 

26 

Santa  Fe,  N.  Mex. 

2173 

82 

Montpelier,  Vt. 

327 

10I 

Savannah,  Ga. 

90S 

26I 

New  Orleans,  La. 

1344 

32 

Tacoma,  Wash. 

3209 

102 

Omaha,  Neb. 

1383 

43 

Topeka,  Kan. 

1370 

48 

Philadelphia, Pa. 

90 

3 

Trenton,  N.  J. 

57 

2 

Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

43i 

13 

Vicksburgh,  Miss. 

1288 

5o 

Portland,  Me. 

325 

12 

Vinita,  Ind.  Ter. 

1412 

42 

Portland,  Ore. 

3181 

141$ 

Washington,  D.  C. 

228 

6 

Prescott,  Ariz. 

2724 

94 

Wheeling,  W.  Va. 

496 

14I 

Providence,  R.  1. 

189 

5 

Wilmington,  Del. 

117 

5 

Richmond,  Va. 

344 

"* 

Wilmington,  N.  C. 

593 

20 

Foreign  Cities  from  New  York  City 


By  Postal  Route  to 

Mis. 

D's 

34 

By  Postal  Route  to 

Mis. 

D's 

Adelaide,  v.  Frisco 

12845 

Havana 

1366 

3 

Alexandria,  v.  Lon. 

6150 

13 

Hongkong,  v.  Fris. 

10590 

25 

Amsterdam,  v.  Lon. 

3985 

9 

Honolulu,  v.  Frisco 

5645 

13 

Antwerp,  v.  London 

4000 

9 

Liverpool 

3540 

8 

Athens,  v.  Lon. 

5655 

12 

London 

3740 

8 

Bahia,  Brazil 

5870 

21 

Madrid,  v.  London 

4925 

9 

Bangkok,  S.  v.  Frisco 

12990 

43 

Melbourne,  v.  Fris. 

12265 

26 

Batavia,  J.  v.  Lon. 

12800 

34 

Mexico  City  (R.R.) 

375o 

5 

Berlin 

4385 

9 

Panama 

2355 

6 

Bombay,  v.  London. 

9765 

24 

Paris 

4020 

8 

Bremen 

4235 

8 

Rio  de  Janeiro  t 

6204 

23 

Buenos  Ayres 

8045 

29 

Rome,  v.  London 

5030 

9 

Calcutta,  v.  London 

11120 

26 

Rotterdam,  v.  Lon. 

3935 

9 

Cape  Town,  v.  Lon. 

1 1 245 

27 

St.  Ptrsburg,  v.  Lon. 

5370 

10 

Const'ople,  v.  Lon. 

5810 

11 

Shanghai,  v.  Fris. 

9920 

25 

Florence,  v.  London 

4800 

10 

Stockholm,  v.  Lon. 

4975 

10 

Glasgow 

337o 

10 

Sydney,  v.  Frisco 

11570 

21 

Grey  town,  v.  N.  0. 

2815 

7 

Valparaiso,  v.  Pan. 

4808 

21 

Halifax,  N.  S. 

64S 

2 

Vienna 

4740 

10 

Hamburg,  direct 

• 

4820 

9 

Yokohama,  v.  Fris. 

7348 

20 

APPENDIX 

STANDARD  TIME 


B 


Y  Standard  Time  is  meant  that  the  hour 
of  each  150  of  longitude  becomes  the  local 
mean  time  for  the  zone  or  belt  extending  7^° 
on  each  side  of  the  central  meridian;  though 
in  practise  the  zone  has  to  be  adapted  to  local 
circumstances,  and  so  cannot  conform  to  the 
exact  line  or  meridian,  but  is  arranged  to  suit 
boundaries  of  States  or  Provinces  as  may  be 
most  convenient.  By  way  of  illustration,  it 
may  be  noted  that  in  the  Province  of  Ontario, 
Canada,  by  Act  of  the  Legislature,  the  hour 
of  750  W.  is  Standard  Time  for  the  Province 
as  far  as  870  W.,  and  that  the  S.W.  point, 
83°  W.,  extends  westerly  beyond  the  eastern 
part  of  the  State  of  Michigan,  where  the  time 
of  oo°  W.  is  used;  so  at  Windsor,  Ontario,  it 
is  noon  while  in  Michigan  —  more  to  the 
east  —  it  is  n  a.m.  The  Standard  Time  as 
used  in  the  chief  cities  of  Canada  and  the 
United  States  may  be  noted:  at  Quebec, 
Montreal,  and  Toronto,  at  Boston,  New  York, 
and  Washington,  the  time  of  750  W.,  five 
hours  earlier  than  Greenwich,  is  used;  at 
Winnipeg  in  Manitoba,  and  at  Detroit, 
Chicago,  and  New  Orleans,  the  time  of  900, 

142 


APPENDIX  143 

six  hours  earlier  than  Greenwich,  is  used;  at 
Regina  and  Denver  it  is  the  time  of  1050, 
seven  hours  earlier  than  Greenwich;  and  in 
British  Columbia  and  at  San  Francisco  the 
time  of  1200  W.,  eight  hours  earlier  than 
Greenwich,  is  used;  and  when  1800  is  reached 
another  day  begins  in  Eastern  Siberia,  at  the 
Fiji  Islands,  and  a  little  to  the  east  of  New 
Zealand. 

The  same  rule  applies  to  places  east  of 
Greenwich,  where,  of  course,  noon  is  earlier 
than  at  Greenwich  according  to  the  longitude. 
Spain  adopted  Standard  —  that  is,  Green- 
wich —  Time  early  in  the  century.  When 
noon  at  Greenwich  it  is  2  p.m.  in  Egypt 
and  South  Africa;  it  is  5:30  P.M.  in  India, 
82^°  E.;  in  Japan  and  Corea,  1350  E.,  it  is 
9  p.m.;  and  in  Eastern  Australia,  1500  E.,  it 
is  10  p.m. 

The  question  is  often  asked,  "  Where  does 
a  day  begin?  "  —  that  is,  any  special  day, 
New  Year's  Day  or  Easter  Day  —  and  the 
answer  is  that  for  all  peoples,  nations,  and 
languages,  using  maps  with  longitude  East 
and  West  from  Greenwich,  each  day  begins 
at  the  meridian  of  1800,  slightly  east  of  New 
Zealand  in  the  South,  and  intersecting  Eastern 
Siberia  in  the  North,  and  so  the  last  day  of  the 
nineteenth  century  and  the  first  day  of  the 
twentieth  were  on  the  Earth  together,  not 
running  concurrently  or  side  by  side,  north 
and  south  of  the  Equator,  as  has  been  sup- 


144      THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

posed,  erroneously,  but  the  latter  following 
the  former  from  1800  westerly  to  Greenwich, 
and  on  again  to  1800,  where  it  gave  place"  to 
January  2. 

Twelve  O'clock  Noon  Greenwich  Mean  Time 

As  Compared  with  the  Clock  in  the  following  Places 

H.  M.  H.  M. 

Adelaide 914  p.m.  Melbourne,  Aus. .  .   9  40  p.m. 

Auckland  (N.Z.) .  .  11  39  p.m.  Moscow    2  30  p.m. 

Berlin o  54  p.m.  Newfndland,S.Jns.  8  29  a.m. 

Berne o  30  p.m.  New  York 7   4  a.m. 

Bombay 4  51  p.m.  Paris o    9  p.m. 

Boston,  U.S 716  a.m.  Pekin 7  46  p.m. 

Brisbane,  Qnsland  10  12  p.m.  Penzance 1137  a.m. 

Brussels 017  p.m.  Perth,  W.  Aus ...  .   743  P.M. 

Calcutta 553  p.m.  Philadelphia 6  59  a.m. 

Cape  of  Good  Hope  1  14  p.m.  Port  Moresby    ...10   4  P.M. 

Chicago 6  10  A  m.  Prague    o  58  p.m. 

Constantinople.. .  .    1  56  p.m.  Quebec   715  a.m. 

Dublin   n  35  a.m.  Rome    o  50  p.m. 

Edinburgh 1147  a.m.  Rotterdam o  18  p.m. 

Florence o  45  p.m.  San  Francisco,  Port  3  52  a.m. 

Glasgow 11  43  a.m.  St.  Petersburg.  .  ..21  p.m. 

Hobart,  Tasmania.  9  49  p.m.  Stockholm    112  p.m. 

Jerusalem 2  21  p.m.  Suez 2  10  p.m. 

Lisbon 11  23  a.m.  Sydney 10    5  p.m. 

Madras 521  p.m.  Toronto    6  42  a.m. 

Madrid 11  45  a.m.  Vancouver   3  38  a.m. 

Malta 058  p.m.  Vienna    15  p.m. 


APPENDIX 


145 


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148      THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 
COMPARATIVE  THERMOMETERS 


Reaumur 

Centigrade 

Fahrenheit 

80 

IOO 

212 

Water  boils  at 

sea-level 

76 

95 

203 

72 

90 

194 

68 

85 

185 

63.1 

78.9 

174 

Alcohol  boils 

60 

75 

167 

56 

70 

158 

52 

65 

149 

White  of  egg  c 

oagulates 

48 

60 

140 

44 

55 

131 

42.2 

52.8 

127 

40 

5o 

122 

36 

45 

113 

Tallow  melts 

33-8 

42.2 

IOS 

32 

40 

IO4 

29.3 

36-7 

98 

Blood  heat 

28 

35 

95 

25.8 

32.2 

90 

24 

30 

86 

21.3 

26.7 

80 

20 

25 

77 

16 

20 

68 

Temperate 

12.4 

15.3 

60 

10.2 

12.8 

55 

8 

10 

50 

5.8 

7.2 

45 

4 

5 

4i 

1.3 

1.7 

35 

0 

0 

32 

Water  freezes 

0.9 

—   1.1 

30 

4 

-  9 

•23 

5.3 

-  6.7 

20 

8 

—  10 

14 

9.8 

—  12.2 

10 

12 

-15 

5 

14.2 

-17.8 

0 

Zero  Fahr. 

APPENDIX 


149 


Reaumur 

Centigrade 

Fahrenheit 

16 

—  20 

-   4 

20 

-25 

-13 

24 

-30 

—  22 

28 

-35 

-31 

32 

-40 

-40 

Mercury  freezes 

To  change  from  centigrade  to  Fahrenheit  multiply  by  p, 
divide  by  5,  and  add  32.  To  change  from  Reaumur  to  Fahren- 
heit, multiply  by  p,  divide  by  4,  and  add  32. 

(Courtesy  The  World  Almanac) 

WEIGHTS   AND    MEASURES 

The  Metric  System 


Multiples, 

Divisions, 

which  are 
used  equally 
with  all  the 

principal 
units 

Kinds  of 
Quantities 
Measured 

Principal 
Units 

Definitions 

which  are  used 
equally  with 
all  the  princi- 
pal units 

Length 

m  (meter) 

M  (rnyria 

d  (deci  =  .1) 

=  10000) 

( 

sq.  m  (square 

K  (kilo 

Area      < 

meter) 
a(Ar) 

>  1  sq.  Dm. 

c  (centi  =.01) 

=  1000) 

m  (milli  =  .ooi) 

H  (hekto 

=  100) 

/cubic  \ 
cu  m  Vmeter/ 

(Note  4.  These 
are    Latin 

D  (deka 
=  10) 

Volume  • 

s  (ster) 

J  1  cu.  m. 

numerals) 

(Note  2. 

1  (liter) 

|  1  cu.  d  m 

These  are 

Greek    nu- 

Weight of  1  cu. 

merals) 

Weight 

g  (gram) 

cm.  of  pure  wa- 
ter at  40  centi- 
grade 

Note  3.     1000  kg.  is  called  t.  (a  metric  ton.) 


150      THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 


Linear  Measure 

12  in.  =  i  foot  320  rds.  =  1  mile 

3  ft.  =  1  yd.  5280  ft.  =  1  mile 
5J  yds.  =  1  rod                         3  miles  =  1  league 

The  hand  (4  in.)  is  used  to  measure  the  height  of  horses. 
The  nautical  mile  is  6086.44  ft.  1  knot  is  1.1528  statute 
miles.     1  degree  is  67.168  statute  miles. 

Square  Measure 

144  sq.  in.  =  1  sq.  ft.  160  sq.  rods  =  1  acre 

9  sq.  ft.  =  1  sq.  yd.  640  acres  =  1  sq.  mile 

30J  sq.  yds.  =  1  sq.  rod 

The  side  of  a  square  having  an  area  of  an  acre  is  approxi- 
mately 208 1  feet. 

Dry  Measure 

2  pints  =  1  quart  8  quarts  =  1  peck 

4  pecks  =  1  bushel 

Liquid  Measure 

4  gills  =  1  pt.  31 J  gall.  =  1  barrel 

2  pts.  =  1  qt.  2  barrels  =  1  hogshead 

4  qts.  =  1  gall. 

Apothecaries'  Weight 

20  grains  =  1  scruple  8  drams  =  1  ounce 

3  scruples  =  1  dram  12  ounces  =  1  pound 

Avoirdupois  Weight 

16  drams  =  1  ounce       100  pounds  =  1  hundredweight 
16  ounces  =  1  pound     20  hundredweights  =  1  ton 
Long  ton  =  2240  pounds,  used  mostly  in  Great  Britain. 

Troy  Weight 

24  grains  =  1  pennyweight 

20  pennyweights  =  1  ounce 

12  ounces  =  1  pound 

1  carat  in  diamond,  measure  =  3.2  Troy  grains. 


APPENDIX  151 

Paper  Measure 

24  sheets  =  1  quire  2  reams  =  1  bundle 
20  quires  =  1  ream               5  bundles  =  1  bale 

Time  Measure 

60  seconds  =  1  minute  24  hours  =  1  day 

60  minutes  =  1  hour  7  days  =  1  week 

28,  29,  30,  or  31  days  =  1  calendar  month  (30  days  = 

1  month  in  computing  interest) 
365  days  =  1  year  366  days  =  1  leap  year 

Circular  Measure 

60  seconds  =  1  minute  30  degrees  =  1  sign 

60  minutes  =  1  degree  90  degrees  =  1  quadrant 

4  quadrants  =  12  signs,  or  360  degrees  =  1  circle 

Cloth  Measure 

2}  inches  =  1  nail  4  quarters  =  1  yard 

4  nails  =  1  quarter 

Mariners'  Measure 

6  feet  =  1  fathom  5280  feet  =  1  stat.  mile 
120  fathoms  =  1  cab.  le'th.    6085  feet  =  1  naut.  mile 

7  J  cable  lengths  =  1  mile 

Miscellaneous 

3  inches  =  1  palm  18  inches  =  1  cubit 

4  inches  =  1  hand  21.8  in.  =  1  Bible  cubit 
6  inches  =  1  span  2\  ft.  =  1  military  pace 

Surveyors'  Measure 

7.92  inches  =  1  link  4  rods  =  1  chain 

25  links  =  1  rod 

10  square  chains  or  160  square  rods  =  1  acre 

640  acres  =  1  sq.  mile 

36  sq.  miles  (6  miles  sq.)  =  1  township. 


152      THE    WRITER     S    DESK    BOOK 


Cubic  Measure 

1728  cubic  in.  =  1  cub.  ft.     128  c.  ft.  =  1  cord  (wood) 
27  cubic  ft.  =  1  cubic  yd.      40  cub.  ft.  =  1  ton  (shpg.) 
2150.42  cubic  inches  =  1  standard  bushel 
268.8  cubic  inches  =  1  standard  gallon 
1  cubic  foot  =  about  four-fifths  of  a  bushel 

Metric  Equivalents 
Linear  Measure 


1  centimeter  =  0.3937  in. 
1  decimeter  =  3-937  in.   = 

0.328  feet 
1  meter  =  39.37  in.  =  1.0936 

yards 
1  dekameter  =  1.9884  rods 
1  kilometer  =  0.62137  mile 


1  in.  =  2.54  centimeters 
1  ft.  =  3.048  decimeters 

1  yard  =  0.9144  meter 

1  rod  =  0.5029  dekameter 
1  mile  =  1.6093  kilometers 

Square  Measure 
sq.  centimeter  =  0.1550  \  1  sq.  inch  =  6452  square 


sq.  in. 
1  sq.  decimeter  =  0.1076 

sq.  ft. 

1  sq.  meter  =  1.196  sq.  yd. 
1  are  =  3.954  sq.  rd. 
1  hektar  =2.47  acres 
1  sq.  kilometer  =  0.386  sq.m. 


centimeters 
1  sq.  foot  =  9.2903  square 

decimeters 
1  sq.  yd.  =  0.8361  sq.  m'r. 
1  sq.  rd.  =  0.2529  are 
1  acre  =  0.4047  hektar 
1  sq.  m.   =   2.59  sq.  kilo- 


meters 

Measure  of  Volume 
1  cu.  centimeter  =  0.061  cu.  ]  1  cu.  in.  =  16.39  cu-  centi- 
meters 
1  cu.  ft.  =  28.317  cu.  deci- 
meters 
1  cu.  yd.  =  0.7646  cu.  mr. 
1  cord  =  3.624  steres 
1  qt.  dry  =  1.101  liters 
1  qt.  liq.  =  0.9463  liter 
1  gal.  =  0.3785  dekaliter 
1  peck  =  0.881  dekaliter 
1  bus.  =  0.3524  hektoliter 


in. 
1  cu.  decimeter  =  0.0353  cu- 

ft. 
1  cu.  mr.  1       J  1.308  cu.  yd. 
1  stere     J    "  {0.2759  cd. 
1  lite  =    I  0.908  qt.  dry 
J  1.0567  qt.  liq. 

1  dekaliter  =    2'64I7gaL 
[.135  pks. 

1  hektoliter  =  2.8375  bush. 


APPENDIX  153 

Weights 

1  gram.  =  0.03527  ounce  1  ounce  =  28.85  grams. 

1  kilogram  =  2.2046  lbs.  1  lb.  =  0.4536  kilogram 

1  metric  ton  =  1.1023  Eng-  j  1  English  ton  =  0.9072 
lish  ton  J      metric  ton 

British  Weights  and  Measures 

The  British  Weights  and  Measures  Act 
of  1878,  which  superseded  all  previous  laws 
upon  the  subject,  enacts  the  measures  which 
may  legally  be  used  in  the  United  Kingdom. 
These  are  based  upon  the  Standard  Yard  and 
the  Standard  Pound. 

Further  Acts  of  Parliament  were  passed  in 
1889  and  1904  dealing  with  the  question  of 
verification  of  weights  and  measures,  and 
regulations  were  issued  by  the  Board  of 
Trade  in  1907  respecting  the  inspection  and 
stamping  of  weights  and  measures. 

The  Yard  and  the  Pound  are  the  only  two 
independent  standards  for  weights  and  meas- 
ures, as  the  Gallon,  the  standard  of  capacity, 
both  for  dry  and  liquid  measure,  is  not 
independent,  but  is  based  upon  the  Pound. 
The  Gallon  is  defined  in  the  Act  of  1878  as 
the  volume  of  ten  Imperial  Standard  Pounds 
weight  of  distilled  water  weighed  in  air 
against  brass  weights,  with  the  water  and  air 
at  the  temperature  of  620  Fahrenheit  and  the 
barometer  at  30  inches. 

The  multiples  and  subdivisions  of  the 
Standard  Yard,  Pound,  and  Gallon,  as  laid 


154      THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

down  in  the  Act  of  1878,  are  as  follows;    the 
legal  abbreviations  are  given  in  brackets: 

1.  Measures  of  Length 
12  inches  (in.) =1  foot  (//.) 

3  feet    =  1  yard  (yd.) 

Si  yards =1  rod,  pole,  or  perch 

4  poles    =  1  chain  or  100  links 

10  chains   =1  furlong 

8  furlongs =  1  mile 

2.  Measures  of  Weight 

7000  grains  (gr.)  =1  pound  (lb.) 

Also 

16  drams  (dr.) =1  ounce  (oz.) 

16  ounces =1  pound  (lb.) 

14  pounds    =1  stone 

8  stone =1  hundredweight  (cwt.) 

20  hundredweights  ....  =1  ton 

3.  Measures  of  Capacity 

4  gills   =  1  pint 

2  pints    =  1  quart 

4  quarts =1  gallon 

2  gallons =  1  peck 

4  pecks =1  bushel 

8  bushels    =  1  quarter 

36  bushels    =  1  chaldron 

4.  Measures  of  Land 

40  square  perches =1  rood 

4  roods =  1  acre 

For  certain  special  purposes,  the  following 
are  also  authorized  by  the  Act  of  1878  or  by 
Order  in  Council  under  the  Act: 

1.  For  weighing  gold  and  silver  and  pre- 
cious stones: 


APPENDIX  155 

The  Troy  ounce,  equal  in  weight  to  480  grains.  In 
dealing  with  quantities  less  than  an  ounce,  the  ounce  is 
divided  decimally,  not  into  grains.  Larger  quantities  than 
an  ounce  are  stated  in  ounces.     There  is  no  Troy  pound. 

2.  For  the  use  of  apothecaries  and  for 
selling  drugs  retail: 

(a)  Measures  of  Weight 
20  grains    =1  scruple  (  3) 

3  scruples =1  drachm  (^) 

8  drachms   ....  =1  Apothecaries'  ounce  (oz.  Apoth.) 

(b)  Measures  of  Capacity 

60  minims  (min.)    =1  fluid  drachm  (fl.  dr.) 

8  fluid  drachms =1  fluid  ounce  (fl.  oz.) 

Of  the  Apothecaries'  measure  of  weight, 
the  grain  is  the  same  as  the  Imperial  grain; 
and  the  Apothecaries'  ounce  contains  480 
grains,  like  the  Troy  ounce.  But,  of  the 
measures  of  capacity,  the  Apothecaries, 
drachm  is  not  the  same  as  the  Imperial  dram, 
and  the  two  words  are  spelt  differently.  A 
fluid  ounce  of  distilled  water  at  a  tempera- 
ture of  6 20  Fahrenheit  is  equal  in  weight  to 
the  Imperial  ounce  (437.5  grains),  and  the 
fluid  drachm  (54.6875  grains)  is  equal  in 
wTeight  to  two  Imperial  drams. 

Electrical  Measures 

It  is  customary  to  express  electrical  meas- 
ures in  terms  of  the  centimeter,  the  gramme, 
and  the  second,  and  the  value  of  the  units 


156      THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

has  been  fixed  by  international  agreement. 
The  principal  units,  as  described  in  the  Order 
in  Council  of  January  10,  1910,  are  as  follows: 

The  Ohm,  the  unit  of  resistance,  is  the 
resistance  offered  to  an  unvarying  electric  cur- 
rent by  a  column  of  mercury,  at  the  tempera- 
ture of  melting  ice,  14.4521  grammes  in  mass, 
of  a  constant  cross-sectional  area,  and  of  a 
length  of  106.3  centimeters. 

The  Ampere,  the  unit  of  current,  is  the  un- 
varying electric  current  which,  when  passed 
through  a  solution  of  nitrate  of  silver  in 
water,  deposits  silver  at  the  rate  of  0.001118 
of  a  gramme  per  second. 

The  Volt,  the  unit  of  pressure,  is  the 
pressure  which,  when  steadily  applied  to  a 
conductor  whose  resistance  is  one  ohm,  will 
produce  a  current  of  one  ampere. 

The  Watt,  the  unit  of  power,  is  j\q  of  one 
horse-power,  the  horse-power  being  33,000  lb. 
raised  one  foot  in  one  minute.  The  Board  of 
Trade  unit  is  1000  Watt-hours.    ' 

In  carbon  lamps  of  16-candle  power  (nomi- 
nal) about  four  watts  are  required  per  candle 
power  to  give  good  economical  results  for 
domestic  purposes.  One  Board  of  Trade  unit 
will  keep  a  16-candle  carbon  lamp  alight  for 
about  16  hours;  metallic  filament  lamps 
require  considerably  less. 


APPENDIX  157 

Measures  for  Special  Purposes 

Builders1  Measurements 

Stock  or  kiln  bricks.  . . .  8f  inches  X  4?  X  2j 

Welsh  fire-bricks 9    inches  X  4i  X  2? 

Paving  bricks   9    inches  X  4-i  X  1 J 

Square  tiles .9$  inches  X  9I  X  1 

Square  tiles 6    inches  X  6    X  1 

Dutch  clinker  bricks    .  .  g\  inches  X  3    X  1? 

A  Rod  of  Brickwork  16^  feet  X  16^  feet  X 
1^  brick  thick  =  306  cubic  feet,  or  n^  cubic 
yards,  and  contains  about  4500  bricks  with 
about  75  cubic  feet  of  mortar. 

Ordinary  bricks  weigh  about  7  lb.  each;  a 
load  of  500  weighs  about  1  ton  n  cwt.  1  qr. 

A  Piece  of  Wall  Paper  is  12  yd.  long  X  21  in. 
wide  (English),  and  9  yd.  X  18  in.  (French). 

Timber  and  Wood 

40  cubic  feet  rough,  50  cubic  feet  squared  =  1  load 

50  cubic  feet  of  planks  =  1  load 

100  superficial  feet  =  1  square  of  flooring 

120  Deals  =  100 

Width  of  Battens,  7  inches;  Deals,  9  inches; 
Planks  are  2  to  4  inches  thick,  and  10  or  n 
inches  wide.  A  Cord  of  Wood  is  2§  tons,  or 
128  cubic  feet. 

Corn 

Wheat  and  other  cereals  are  commonly  sold 
by  weight,  the  bushel  being  thus  reckoned: 

Wheat,  English,  60  lb.     Foreign,  62  lb. 

Barley,  English,  50  lb.  French,  52  J  lb. 
Mediterranean,  50  lb. 


158      THE   WRITER^    DESK    BOOK 

Oats,  English,  39  lb.     Foreign,  38  and  40  lb. 
Rye  and  Maize,  60  lb.     Buckwheat,  52  lb. 

Hay  and  Straw 

Truss  of  Straw,  36  lb.  Truss  of  Old  Hay, 
56  1b. 

Truss  of  New  Hay  (to  September  1),  60  lb. 

Load,  36  Trusses  —  Straw,  11  cwt.  2  qr. 
8  lb.;  Old  Hay,  18  cwt.;  New  Hay,  19  cwt. 
1  qr.  4  lb. 

Yard  Measures 

Cotton  and  Spun  Silk  Count.  —  Thread  = 
1^  yards;  Lea,  or  Skein,  skn.  =  120  yards; 
Hank,  hk  =  7  Skeins,  or  Leas  =  840  yards; 
Spindle,  spdl.  =  18  Hanks;  counts  =  the 
number  of  Hanks  in  1  lb.;  Bundle  Hanks, 
either  of  5  lb.  or  10  lb.;  Reels  of  Cotton  vary 
from  30  to  1760  yards;  they  must  be  marked 
correctly.  Bundles  of  Cotton  are  chiefly  made 
up  for  export. 

Worsted  Count.  —  Wrap,  80  yards;  Hank 
=  560  yards  =  7  Wraps-  Counts  or  Numbers 
are  the  number  of  hanks  in  a  lb. 

Linen  Count.  —  The  Hank  or  Lea  is  300 
yards,  and  the  number  of  these  in  1  lb.  is  the 
count  of  the  yarn.  A  Spindle  is  48  hanks; 
a  Bundle  is   200  hanks. 

West  of  England  Count.  —  The  Hank  is  320 
yards,  and  the  number  of  hanks  in  1  lb.  is  the 
count  of  the  yarn. 


APPENDIX  159 

Size  of  Barrel  Gals. 

Firkin  or  Quarter  Barrel 9 

Anker  (10  gallons) 10 

Kilderkin,  Rundlet,  or  §  Barrel 18 

Barrel 36 

Tierce  (42  gallons)   42 

Hogshead  of  Ale  (ij  barrels) 54 

Puncheon 72 

Butt  of  Ale    108 

In  the  British  Dependencies 

The  Imperial  weights  and  measures  are  the 
legal  standards  in  the  British  Dominions  and 
in  India.  In  some  Colonies  the  Metric  sys- 
tem may  also  be  used.  In  certain  Colonies 
and  in  India,  the  old  local  measures  are  still 
employed  to  a  considerable  extent.  Among 
these  are  the  following: 

Indian  Weights  (Bengal) 

Tola,  unit  of  postage  =  180  grains 

Chittak  =  5  Tolas;   Seer  (16  Chittaks)  =  2^  lb. 

Imperial  or  Indian  Maund  =  82f  lb.  =  40  seer 

Madras 
Viss  =  3.09  lbs.,  Maund  =  25  lb.,  Candy  =  500  lb. 

South  African  Land  Measures 

Cape  Morgen =  2.1 1654  English  Acres 

Cape  Feet =  J'033      English  Feet 

Cape  Rood =  12.396    English  Feet 


160      THE    WRITER'S    DESK    BOOK 

European  Countries 

The  metric  system  of  weights  and  measures 
has  been  adopted  in  the  following  countries: 

Austria,  Belgium,  Bulgaria,  France,  Ger- 
many, Italy,  Portugal,  Norway,  Rumania, 
Servia,  Spain,  Sweden,  and  Switzerland. 

In  Russia  the  standard  of  length  is  the 
Sachine,  which  is  equal  to  seven  British  feet; 
the  standard  of  weight  is  the  Pound,  equal  to 
nine-tenths  of  the  British  pound.  The  other 
measures  are: 

i.  Measures  of  Length 

16  vershok =  i  archine 

3  archine    =  i  sachine 

500  sachine    =  1  verst 

2.  Measures  of  Weight 

3  zolotnik =  1  loth 

32  loth   =  1  pound 

40  pounds    =  1  pood 

10  poods =  1  berkovatz 

In  Turkey  the  weights  and  measures  differ 
considerably  in  different  parts  of  the  Empire, 
but  the  following  are  those  used  at  Constan- 
tinople and  the  neighborhood: 

1.  Measures  of  Length 

2  jeras  =  1  rup 

8  rups  =  1  pek  =  26.77  British  inches 

2.  Measures  of  Weight 

16  kirats  =  1  dram 
400  drams  =  1  oke  =  2.828  British  pounds 
44  okes     =  1  kantar 


APPENDIX  l6l 

The  usual  measure  of  capacity  in  Turkey 
is  the  Kileh,  which  is  slightly  larger  than  the 
British  bushel. 

TIME   AND   WATCH   ON   BOARD   SHIP 

Time.  —  Time  is  kept  by  means  of  "  Bells, " 
although  there  is  but  one  bell  on  the  ship;  and 
to  strike  the  clapper  properly  against  the  bell 
requires  some  skill. 

First,  two  strokes  of  the  clapper  at  the  in- 
terval of  a  second,  then  an  interval  of  two 
seconds;  then  two  more  strokes  with  a  sec- 
ond's interval  apart,  then  a  rest  of  two  seconds, 
thus: 

Bell,  one  second;    B.,  two  sees.;    B.  s.;    B.  ss. 
B.  s.;    B.  ss.;  B. 

Watch.  —  For  purposes  of  discipline,  and 
to  divide  the  work  fairly,  the  crew  is  mustered 
in  two  divisions:  the  Starboard  (right  side, 
looking  forward)  and  the  Port  (left).  The 
day  commences  at  noon,  and  is  thus  divided: 

Afternoon  Watch noon  to  4  p.m. 

First  Dog  Watch    4  p.m.  to  6  p.m. 

Second  Dog  Watch    ....  6  p.m.  to  8  p.m. 

First  Watch 8  p.m.  to  midnight 

Middle  Watch 12  a.m.  to  4  a.m. 

Morning  Watch    4  a.m.  to  8  a.m. 

Forenoon  Watch 8  a.m.  to  noon 

This  makes  seven  Watches,  which  enables 
the  crew  to  keep  them  alternately,  as  the 
Watch  which  is  on  duty  in  the  forenoon  one 


162      THE    WRITERS    DESK    BOOK 

day  has  the  afternoon  the  next  day,  and  the 
men  who  have  only  four  hours'  rest  one  night 
have  eight  hours  the  next.  This  is  the  reason 
for  having  Dog  Watches,  which  are  made  by 
dividing  the  hours  between  4  p.m.  and  8  p.m. 
into  two  Watches. 


PARCEL   POST— TABLE    OF   RATES 


WEIGHT 

Local 
Rate 

1st  zone 

2d  zone 

3d  zone 

4th  zone 

OF 

up  to  50 

50  to  150 

150  to  300 

300  to  600 

PARCEL 

miles 

miles 

miles 

miles 

1  lb 

o.o"5 

0.05 

0.06 

0.07 

0.08 

2  lbs ... . 

0.06 

.08 

.10 

.12 

•  14 

3  lbs.... 

0.07 

.11 

.14 

.17 

.20 

4  lbs ... . 

.08 

.14 

.18 

.22 

.26 

5  lbs.... 

.09 

•17 

.22 

•  27 

•32 

6  lbs ... . 

.10 

.20 

.26 

•32 

.38 

7  lbs.... 

.11 

•  23 

•30 

•37 

.44 

8  lbs ... . 

.12 

.26 

•34 

.42 

•50 

9  lbs ... . 

•  13 

.29 

.38 

•47 

.56 

10  lbs.  .  . . 

.14 

•32 

.42 

•52 

.62 

11  lbs ... . 

•IS 

•35 

.46 

•57 

.68 

WEIGHT 

5th  zone 

6th  zone 

7th  zone 

8th  zone 

OF 

600  to  IOOO 

1000  to  1400 

1400  to  1800 

all  over 

PARCEL 

miles 

miles 

miles 

1800  miles 

ilb 

0.09 

0.10 

O.II 

0.12 

2  lbs ...  . 

.16 

.19 

.21 

.24 

3  lbs 

•  23 

.28 

•31 

.36 

4  lbs.... 

•30 

•37 

.41 

.48 

5  lbs.... 

•37 

.46 

•  51 

.60 

6  lbs.... 

•44 

•55 

.61 

•  72 

7  lbs ... . 

•5i 

.64 

•  71 

.84 

8  lbs.... 

.58 

•73 

.81 

.96 

9  lbs ...  . 

•  65 

.82 

.91 

1.08 

.72 

.91 

1. 01 

1.20 

•  79 

1. 00 

1. 11 

1.32 

INDEX 


"A"  and  "an,"  spacing  of, 
60. 

"a"  (negative  prefix),  com- 
pounds   of,    50. 

Abbreviations,  use  of  period 
with,  12;  of  firms  and  cor- 
porations; capitalization  of, 
23;  of  degrees,  capitaliza- 
tion of,  25;  of  titles  and 
States,  spacing  of,  59-60; 
of  italicized  words  in  liter- 
ary and  legal  references,  64; 
of  dates  and  usages  thereto, 
65;  of  proper  names,  66; 
of  Christian*  names,  .66-68; 
of  titles,  68-75;  of  com- 
mercial terms,  76-77;  of 
geographical  terms,  77-81; 
miscellaneous,  81-89;  scrip- 
tural, 90;  of  monetary  signs, 
90-91;  of  mathematical 
signs,  91-92;  of  medical 
signs,  92;  not  used  in  salu- 
tation of  letters,    117. 

-able  and  -ible,  spelling  of 
words  terminating  in,  38- 
39;     in   division   of   words, 

53- 

Abstract  ideas:  capitalization 
of  personified,  23. 

Accents:  list  of  symbols,  2; 
list  of  accented  words,  36- 
37;  retention  of,  in  foreign 
words  used  in  English,  36- 

37. 
"Accept,"  correct  use  of,  101. 


Acts,  juridical,  capitalization 

of,  27. 
a.d.   {anno    Domini) :     set  in 

small  caps,  30;    spacing  of, 

59- 

"Addenda,"  plural  of  adden- 
dum, 109. 

Address  (of  letters)  the:  busi- 
ness, formal,  and  informal, 
116. 

Adjectival  nouns,  capitaliza- 
tion of,  24. 

Adjectives:  use  of  comma 
with,  4,  5,  8;  capitalization 
of,  in  titles  of  books  and 
essays,  26;  capitalization, 
with  proper  names,  26; 
compound,  46;  ending  in 
-ical,  how  to  divide,  54. 

ad  loc,  italicized,  64. 

" Administration,"  capitaliza- 
tion of,   25. 

"Admire,"  correct  use  of,  101. 

"Admit,"  correct  use  of,  101. 

"Admittance,"  correct  use  of, 
99. 

Adverbs:  use  of  comma  with, 
4,  5;  ending  in  "-ly"  not  to 
be  hyphenated  with  ad- 
jectives and  participles,  46; 
compound,  treatment  of, 
51;    position  of,   101. 

cb,  rules  for  use  of,  33. 

"Affable,"  correct  use  of,  101. 

"Affect,"  correct  use  of,  101. 

Ages,  to  be  spelled  out,  32. 

63 


164 


INDEX 


"Aggravate,"  correct  use  of, 
101. 

"Ain't,"  correct  use  of,   101. 

Alford,  Dean:  on  use  of  the 
comma,  4. 

Algebraic,  unknown  quanti- 
ties italicized,  64. 

Alignment,  of  quotation 
marks,   16. 

Alliances,  political,  capitaliza- 
tion of  names  of,  27. 

"All  right,"  correct  use  of, 
101. 

Alternative,"  correct  use  of, 
101. 

A.m.  (ante  meridiem):  set  in 
small  capitals,  30;    spacing 

of,  59- 

Ampere.  See  Electrical  meas- 
ures. 

Ampersand  (&),  the  use  of, 
66. 

Analogy  of  language,  influ- 
ence   in    diction,    99. 

"And,"  correct  use  of,  101; 
when  to  use  comma  before, 

5- 

"Ante,"  compounds  with,  50. 

"Anti,"  compounds  with,  50. 

Antithetical  clauses.  See 
Clauses. 

"Any  place,"  use  of,   101. 

Apocrypha,  list  of  abbrevia- 
tions for,  90. 

Apostrophe:  rules  for  use  of, 
18-19;  in  designating  the 
possessive  case,  18;  in  form- 
ing plurals  of  numerals,  19; 
in  forming  plurals  of  polysyl- 
labic proper  nouns  ending 
in  a  sibilant,  19;  in  indicat- 
ing omission  of  letters  or 
figures,  19;  in  indicating 
omission  of  letters    in  con- 


tracted words,  19;  omis- 
sion of,  in  words  contracted 
in  poetry,  19. 

Apothecaries'  weight,  table 
of,  150. 

"Apparently,"  correct  use  of, 
101. 

"Apt,"  correct  use  of,  102. 

Art,  titles  of  works  of,  to  be 
quoted,  17. 

Articles:  definite,  not  to  be 
treated  as  part  of  title  of 
magazines  and  newspapers, 
30;    correct  use  of,   102. 

"As,"  correct  use  of,   102. 

Astronomical  terms:  capi- 
talization of,  23;  names  of 
stars  and  constellations, 
italicized,  64. 

"At,"  correct  use  of,   102. 

"At  length,"  correct  use  of, 
102. 

"Aught,"  correct  use  of,  102. 

"Avail,"  correct  use  of,  102. 

Avoirdupois  weight,  table  of, 
150. 

"Aware,"  correct  use  of,  102. 

"Awful,"  correct  use  of,  102. 

"Badly,"  correct  use  of,  102. 

"Bank  on,"  use  of,   102. 

Barrels,  measures  of,  in  gal- 
lons, 159. 

B.C.  (before  Christ):  set  in 
small  caps,  30;    spacing  of, 

59- 

"Beg,"  correct  use  of,  103. 

Bells,  use  of  on  board  ship, 
161. 

"Bi-,"   compounds  with,   50. 

Bible:  capitalization  of  names 
of  books,  divisions  and  ver- 
sions of,  20;  abbreviations 
for  books  of,  90. 


INDEX 


165 


Biblical:  parables,  capitaliza- 
tion of,  20;  general  terms, 
capitalization  of,  21;  capi- 
talization of  names  and 
terms  of,  20-21;  books, 
abbreviations  for,  90. 

Blocked  indention:  in  gen- 
eral, 56;  of  address  of  let- 
ters, 116. 

Books:  capitalization  of  ti- 
tles, 26;  italicizing  of  titles, 
62;  biblical  abbreviations 
of,  90. 

Botanical  terms:  capitaliza- 
tion of,  23;  names  of  genera 
and  species,  italicized,  64. 

Box-heads,  omission  of  period 
after,  12. 

Brackets,  rules  for  use  of,  18. 

Break,  or  sudden  change  in 
sentence,  indicated  by  dash, 

*3' 
Briefness  of    form  preferred, 

99. 
"Bring,"  use  of,  103. 
British  Dependencies,  weights 

and  measures  of,  159. 
British  weights  and  measures, 

153- 
"Brother,"  compounds  with, 

47- 
Builders'  measures,  table  of, 

157; 

Buildings,     capitalization     of 

names    of,    23. 
Business  letter.     See  Letter. 
"But,"  correct  use  of,  103. 
"By,"  compounds  with,  48. 

C,  soft,  do  not  divide  on,  53. 
"Cabinet,"  capitalization  of, 

25- 
Campbell,  Dr.  Thomas,  can- 
ons of,  99-100. 


"Can,"  distinguished  from 
may,  103. 

Canada,  postal  rates  to,  135. 

"Cannot  but,"  correct  use  of, 
103. 

"Can't  seem,"  correct  use  of, 
103. 

Capitalization:  of  religious 
terms,  20-22;  of  proper 
names,  22-24;  oi  titles, 
24-26;  of  institutional  terms, 
26-28;  of  references,  28; 
of  ordinals,  29;  in  gen- 
eral, 29-30;  of  abbrevia- 
tion of  academic  degrees, 
25;  of  abstract  ideas  per- 
sonified, 23;  of  acts  jurid- 
ical, 27;  of  adjectives  de- 
rived from  proper  nouns, 
22;  of  adjectives  and  nouns 
designating  definite  geo- 
graphical regions,  22;  of 
astronomical  terms,  23;  of 
political  alliances,  27;  of 
books  of  the  Bible,  20;  of 
titles  of  books,  26;  of  bo- 
tanical terms,  23;  of  build- 
ings, 23;  of  "church," 
20;  of  civic  titles,  25;  of 
word  following  a  colon,  26; 
of  compound  titles,  21;  of 
hyphenated  compounds,  29; 
of  sessions  of  Congress, 
,29;  of  conventions,  25;  of 
corporations  —  names  and 
abbreviations,  23;  of  names 
of  dynasties,  29;  of  eccle- 
siastical appellations,  26; 
of  epithets  used  as  proper 
names,  22;  of  titles  of 
essays,  26;  of  "father," 
22;  of  "Fathers"  —  early 
church,  22;  of  foreign  ti- 
tles, as   prefixes,   25-26;   of 


1 66 


INDEX 


Capitalization  {Continued) 
geographical  terms,  22-23; 
of  geological  terms,  23;  of 
"gospel,"  20-21;  of  "gov- 
ernment," 25;  of  historical 
epochs,  22;  of  holidays, 
26-27;  of  judiciary  bodies, 
28;  of  names  of  laws,  27; 
of  names  of  legislative 
bodies,  28;  of  letters  (cor- 
respondence), 29;  of  units 
of  measurement,  29-30; 
of  medical  terms,  23;  of 
military  terms,  25;  of 
monastic  orders,  20;  of 
"mother,"  24;  of  months 
of  year,  23;  of  names  for 
the  Evil  One,  21;  names 
of  political  parties,  27; 
names  of  races,  tribes,  etc., 
27;  names  of  regiments, 
29;  of  names  of  societies, 
25;  of  popular  names  for 
•  the  solar  system,  23;  of 
streets,  parks,  etc.,  23;  of 
titles  of  parables  (biblical), 
20;  of  titles  of  periodicals, 
30;  of  "Pilgrim  Fathers," 
22;  of  poetry,  29;  of  polit- 
ical alliances,  27;  of  polit- 
ical divisions,  28;  of  pro- 
nouns referring  to  the 
Deity,  21;  of  quotations, 
29-30;  of  "revolutionary," 
22;  of  scientific  terms,  23; 
of  social  organizations,  25; 
of  side-heads,  29;  of 
"State,"  24-25;  of  words  on 
title-pages,  30;  of  names  of 
treaties,  27;  of  "van"  and 
"von"  as  prefixes,  25-26; 
of  words  with  special 
meanings,  29;  of  zoological 
terms,  23;  rules  for,  20-30. 


Capitalized  words,  list  of: 
religious,  21;    proper,  24. 

Capitals:  original  use  of,  20; 
rules  for  use  of,  20-30; 
and  small  capitals,  rules  for 
use  of,  28-30;  how  indi- 
cated in  MS.,  30. 

Cases:     confusion   of,    103. 

Caxton:  his  influence  on 
punctuation,  9. 

Centered  head-lines,  omission 
of  period  after,  12. 

Centigrade.  See  Thermom- 
eters. 

Centuries,  numbers  of,  to  be 
spelled  out,  32. 

cf.,  to  be  set  in  roman, 
64. 

"Cherubim,"  plural  of  cherub, 
109. 

"Childlike,"  correct  use  of, 
103. 

Christ,  pronouns  referring  to, 
how  capitalized,  21. 

Christian  names,  abbrevia- 
tion of,  66-68. 

"  Church,"  when  capitalized, 
20. 

Circa  (ca.),  italicized,  64. 

Circular    measure,    table    of, 

151- 

Circulars,  postal  rates  and 
regulations  for,  130. 

Citation  of  legal  causes: 
names  of,  italicized,  64;  of 
author's  own  words,  quo- 
tation marks  used,  16;  of 
different  works  by  same 
author  or  by  different 
authors  without  interven- 
ing original  matter,  to  be 
quoted,  16. 

Civil  titles,  capitalization  of, 
25- 


INDEX 


167 


Classes  of  mail,  rates,  etc., 
I2g-i32. 

Clauses,  use  of  comma  with: 
inverted,  5;  independent, 
6;  relative,  6;  dependent, 
6;  parenthetical,  5;  co- 
ordinate, 6;  antithetical, 
7.  Use  of  dash  before  con- 
cluding clause,  13. 

Cloth  measure,  table  of,  151. 

"Co-,"  compounds  with,  47- 
48. 

Coins,  foreign:  list  of,  show- 
ing     comparative      values, 

145-147- 

"College,"  capitalization  of, 
27. 

Colon:  definition  and  use  of, 
io-ii;  capitalization,  fol- 
lowing use  of,  26,  29,  30; 
use  of  in  formal  salutatory 
phrases  beginning  letters, 
11,  117;  in  titles  of  literary 
references,  11;  of  names  of 
publishers,  11;  first  word 
following,  in  quotation,  cap- 
italized, 11;  use  of,  with 
quotation-marks,  11;  be- 
fore formal  quotations,  11; 
separating  chapter  and 
verse  in  scriptural  refer- 
ences, 11;  in  separating 
divisions  of  time,  11;  use  of 
hair-space  before,  59;  sepa- 
rating city  of  publication 
and  publisher's  name,  11. 

"Colonel,"  when  spelled  in 
full,  and  when  abbreviated, 
68-69. 

"  Color,"  hyphenization  of 
compounds  of,  46. 

"Come,"  correct  use  of,  103. 

Comma:  definition  and  use 
of,  4;    when  omitted,  7-8; 


omitted  between  two  ad- 
jectives, 4;  use  of,  with  ad- 
verbs, 4,  5;  with  adjectives, 
4,  5;  before  "but,"  6. 
With  clauses:  antithetical, 
7;  co-ordinate,  6,  7;  depend- 
ent, 6;  parenthetical,  5;  and 
relative,  6.  Use  of:  with 
conjunctions,  4-7;  separat- 
ing degrees  from  names  of 
persons,  7;  indicating  ellip- 
ses, 7;  separating  numbers, 
7;  with  quotation-marks,  4; 
with  phrases,  inverted  and 
in  opposition,  5-6;  before 
"of"  in  connection  with 
residence,  7;  in  salutatory 
phrase,  7,  117;  in  inverted 
sentences,  5;  separating  ti- 
tles from  names,  6;  sepa- 
rating vocative  words,  7; 
substitution  of  dashes  for, 
14;  use  of  with  exclama- 
tion point,  15;  rules  for 
use  of,  4-8;  omitted  with 
pronouns  used  with  nouns 
for  emphasis,  8. 

Comments,  notes  of,  indeed 
in  brackets,  18. 

Commercial  terms,  abbrevia- 
tion of,  76-77. 

"Common,"  correct  use  of, 
103. 

"Company":  capitalization 
of,  23;  abbreviation  of,  66; 
use  of  (&)  with,  66. 

Compass:  capitalization  of 
points  of,  22,  23,  24; 
hyphenization  of  points  of, 
49. 

Complimentary  close,  of  let- 
ters, 121. 

Compound:  adjectives,  46; 
adverbs,    51. 


1 68 


INDEX 


Compound  titles,  spelling, 
abbreviation,  and  capitali- 
zation of,  68-96. 

Compound  words:  general 
theory  of  and  rules  for, 
45-51;  list  of,  49;  division 
of,  to  be  avoided,   54. 

Compounds,  hyphenated:  cap- 
italization of,  29. 

Compounds,  with:  "a-"  (neg- 
ative prefix),   50;     "ante," 
50;    "anti,"  50;    "bi,"  50; 
"brother,"  47;    "by,"    48; 
"co,"  47-48;    "daughter," 
47;      "demi,"     50;      "deu- 
tero,"     51;      "elect,"     47; 
"electro,"    51;     "ex,"    47; 
"extra,"    48;     "eye,"    51; 
"father,"     47;       "fellow," 
47;     "foster,"    47;     "gen- 
eral,"     47;       "god,"      47; 
"half,"  47;    "holder,"   51; 
"in,"     "infra,"     48;     "in- 
ter," 50;  "intra,"  50;  (nega- 
tive prefix),  50;   "life,"  47 
"like,"    49;     "man,"     49 
"master,"  47;    "mid,"   46 
"monger,"   51;    "mother,' 
47;  "non-,"5o;  "over,"  50 
"parent,"  47;    "post,"  50 
"pre,"    47-48;    "pseudo,' 
51;  "quarter,"  47;  "quasi,' 
48;    "re,"  47-48;  "school,' 
51;  "self,' 47;  "semi,"  48,  50 
"sister,"    47;    "sub,"    50 
"sulpho,"  51;  "super,"  50 
"supra,"  48;  "thermo,"  51 
"to,"      50;     "tree,"      49 
"tri,"     50;      "ultra,"    48 
"un"  (negative  prefix),  50 
"under."    50;    "vice,"  46 
"woman,"  49;  "world,"  47. 

Concealed  mail  matter,  law 
concerning,  133. 


"Confess,"   use   of,    103. 

Congress:  sessions  of,  capital- 
ization, 29;  numbers  of, 
spelled  out,  32. 

Conjunctions:  use  of  comma 
with,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8;  capital- 
ization of,  in  titles  of  books 
and  essays,  26. 

"Conscious,"  correct  use  of, 
103. 

Consonants,  construction  of, 
rules  for  division  of  words, 

„  52-53. 

Constellations,  names  of,  ital- 
icized, 64. 

"Constitution,"  capitaliza- 
tion of,  25. 

"Continual,"  correct  use  of, 
103. 

Contraction  of  word,  use  of 
apostrophe,  19. 

Conventions,  capitalization 
of    names    of,    25. 

Co-ordinate  clauses.  See 
Clauses. 

Corporations,  capitalization  of 
names,  of  abbreviations, 
and  of   "Co.,"   23. 

Corrections,  indicated  by  use 
of  brackets,  18. 

Correctness,  a  requisite  of 
discourse,  99. 

Credits,  italicizing  of,  62. 

Criticisms,  indicated  by  use 
of  brackets,  18. 

Cuba,  postal  rates  to,  135. 

Cubic  measure,  table  of,  152. 

Cut-in  side  notes,  omission 
of  period  after,  12. 

Dashes:  use  of,  with  changed 
construction,  dates,  abrupt 
terminations,  rhetorical  em- 
phasis,    verse     and     page 


INDEX 


169 


Dashes  (Continued) 

references,  short,  snappy 
sentences,  omitted  letters, 
concluding  clauses,  13;  for 
separating  subject-matter 
from  its  authority,  13;  to 
precede  addition  to  com- 
pleted sentence,  14;  sub- 
stitution of,  for  commas  or 
parenthesis,  14;  with  colon, 
to  mark  long  quotation,  14; 
substitution  of,  for  quota- 
tion-marks, 14;  misuse  of, 
12;  rules  for,  13-14;  use 
in  France,  14;  use  of  hair- 
space  with,  59;  examples 
of,  60;  use  of  in  salutatory 
phrases  of  letters,  117. 

"Data,"  plural  of  datum,  109. 

Date-lines,  omission  of  period 
after,   12. 

Dates:  use  of  dash  to  con- 
nect, 13;  abbreviation  of, 
65-66;  st,  d,  rd,  and  th,  to 
be  omitted,  65;  of  letters, 
where  placed,  when  cap- 
italized and  italicized,  30; 
ult.,  inst.,  and  prox.,  not 
used,  65;  the  Dewey,  66; 
of  letters,  115. 

"Daughter,"  compounds  with, 

47- 
Days  of  week:    capitalization 

of,     23;      abbreviation    of, 

65-66. 
"Deadly,"  correct  use  of,  103. 
Decades,     specific    references 

to,   spelled  out,   32. 
"Decided,"    correct    use    of, 

104. 
"Definite,"    correct    use    of, 

104. 
Degrees:     capitalization    and 

abbreviations   of,    25;     use 


of  comma  separating,  from 

name  of  person,  6. 
"Demean,"    correct    use    of, 

104. 
"Demi,"  compounds  with,  50. 
Dependent    clauses,     use    of 

comma,   6. 
Derivation,    influence    of,    in 

division,  52,  53. 
"Deutero,"  compounds  with, 

Si- 

Devil.     See  Evil  One. 

Dewey  abbreviations  of  dates, 
the,  66. 

Diction,  correct  and  faulty, 
99-113;  Dr.  Campbell's 
canons,  99;  use  of  standard 
authors,  100;  list  of  words 
and  phrases,    101-113. 

Dictionary,  the  function  of, 
100. 

"Different,"  correct  use  of, 
104. 

Diphthongs,  general  rules  for, 

33- 

Directions,  use  of  brackets 
in  indicating,  18. 

"Directly,"  use  of,   104. 

Disbelief,  in  statement,  indi- 
cated by  use  of  exclama- 
tion-point, 15. 

"Discover,"  correct  use  of, 
104. 

Display  composition,  use  of 
period  after,  12. 

Division  of  words:  rules  for, 
52-54;  avoid  unnecessary, 
52;  on  two  letters  to  be 
avoided,  53. 

Divisional  mark,  avoid  sep- 
arating    from      matter     it 

•    pertains  to,   54. 

Dollars  ($),  no  space  between 
symbol  and    following    fig- 


170 


INDEX 


Dollars  {Continued) 

ures,  60;   table  of  monetary 

signs,  90-91. 
Domestic   postal    rates,    134. 
"Donne,"    plural    of    donna, 

109. 
"Don't,"  correct  use  of,  104. 
Drop-folios,       enclosed       by 

brackets,  18. 
Dry   measure,    table  of,    150. 
Dynasties:     capitalization    of 

names,     29;      numbers    of, 

to  be  spelled  out,   32. 

"Each  other,"  correct  use  of, 

104. 
Ecclesiastical        appellations, 

capitalization  of,  26. 
"Effect,"  correct  use  of,  104. 
e.g.,  set  in  roman,  64. 
"Egoists,"  correct  use  of,  104. 
"Either,"  correct  use  of,  104. 
"Elect,"  compounds  with,  47. 
Electrical  measures,  155-156. 
"Electro,"    compounds   with, 

Si- 

Ellipses:  comma  indicating, 
7;  period  indicating,  12; 
to  be  treated  as  part  of 
quotation,  17. 

Emphasis,  rhetorical:  use  of 
dash  to  secure,  13;  of  ex- 
clamation-point, 15;  of 'par- 
agraph, 57-58;  of  italics,  62. 

En  echelon  indention:  de- 
scribed, 56;  use  of  in  ad- 
dressing letters,    116; 

"Enormity,"  correct  use  of, 
104. 

"Enthuse,"  (verb)  correct 
use  of,  104. 

Enumerations,  use  of  paren- 
theses in  connection  with 
letters   or   figures   used   to 


express      subdivisions      in, 
18. 

Envelopes,  rules  for  address- 
ing,   123-124. 

Epithets:  capitalized  when 
used  as  proper  names,  22; 
hyphenization  of  compound 
personal,   49. 

Essays,  capitalization  of  titles, 
26. 

etc.,  quotation-marks  to  in- 
clude, 17. 

Euphony,  authority  of,  100. 

European  countries,  weights 
and  measures  of,  159-160. 

"Every  place,"  written  every- 
where,  104. 

Evil  One,  the  capitalization 
of  names  for,   21. 

"ex-,"  prefixed  to  titles,  47. 

"Excellent,"  never  qualified, 
104. 

"Except"  (verb),  correct  use 
of,  104. 

"Exceptional,"  correct  use 
of,  105. 

Exclamation-point:  proper 
use  of,  14-15;  with  quo- 
tation-marks, 14-15;  ori-  . 
gin,  15;  expressing  strong 
emotion,  15;  sarcasm  or 
doubt,  15;  use  of,  with 
comma,  15;  as  distinguished 
from  vocative,  15;  use  of 
hair-space  preceding,  59. 

"Expect,"  correct  use  of,  105. 

Expositions,  capitalization  of 
names  of,    25. 

"Extra,"  compounds  with, 
48. 

"Eye,"  compounds  with,  51. 

Fahrenheit.  See  Thermom- 
eters. 


INDEX 


171 


"Falseness,"   correct   use   of, 

105. 
Family  names,   capitalization 

of,  24. 
"Fathers":   capitalization   of, 

24;     use     of      compounds 

with,  47. 
"Federal,"    capitalization  of, 

25- 

"Fellow,"  compounds  of,  47. 

Figures:  rules  for  use  of,  31- 
33;  use  of  apostrophe  to 
indicate  omission  of,  19; 
used  to  mark  divisions  in 
enumerations,  to  be  placed 
in  parentheses,  18;  per- 
centage, figures  always  to 
be  used,  31;  use  of,  in 
statistics,  32;  spacing  of, 
59;  spacing  between,  and 
$,  £,  60. 

"Fix,"  correct  use  of,  105. 

Foreign  languages:  capitaliza- 
tion of  titles,  as  von,  le, 
da,  etc.,  25-26;  spelling  of 
words  ending  in  re  (French), 
36;  words  and  phrases, 
when  italicized,  62-63;  list 
of  italicized  and  not  ital- 
icized words,  63;  use  of 
accents,  36-37. 

Foreign  titles,  capitalization 
of,  25-26. 

Foreign  words,  plurals  of. 
See  Plurals. 

Formal  letter.     See  Letter. 

"Former,"  correct  use  of, 
105. 

Forwarding  of  mail  matter, 
132. 

"Foster,"    compounds    with, 

47- 

Fraction's,  use  of  hyphens  in 
spelling,  48. 


France,  use  of  dash  in,  14. 
French  endings  in  re,  not  to 
be  used,  36. 

G,  soft,  do  not  divide  on,  53. 

"General,"  compounds  with, 
47. 

"Gentleman,"  correct  use  of, 
105. 

"Gentleman  friend,"  to  be 
avoided,   105. 

Geographical  terms:  capi- 
talization of,  22;  abbrevia- 
tions of,   77-81. 

Geological  terms:  capitaliza- 
tion of,  23;    italicized,    64. 

Geometric  symbols,  as  un- 
known quantities,  italics, 
64. 

"Go,"  correct  use  of,  105. 

God:  pronouns  referring  to, 
capitalization  of,  21;  com- 
pounds with,  47. 

"Gospel,"  when  capitalized, 
20-21. 

"Got,"  correct  use  of,  105. 

"Gotten":  obsolete,  105;  im- 
proper use  of,  105. 

"Government,"  capitaliza- 
tion   of,    25. 

Governmental  terms,  capital- 
ization of,  25. 

Grain  and  Hay,  measures  of, 
157-158. 

"Guess,"  correct  use  of,  105. 

Hair-space,   use  of,   59-61. 
"Half,"  compounds  with,  47. 
Half-diamond    indention,    56. 
"Hanged,"  distinguished  from 

hung,  105. 
Hanging  indention,  described, 

56. 


172 


INDEX 


"Hardly,"  never  preceded  by 
not,  105. 

"He,"  correct  use  of,  105. 

Headings:  capitalization  of 
certain  words,  30;  of  letters 
(correspondence),  115. 

Head-lines,  omission  of  period 
after,  12. 

"Healthful,"  correct  use  of, 
105. 

"Her,"  correct  use  of,  106. 

"Him,"  correct  use  of,  106. 

Historical  epochs,  capitaliza- 
tion of  appellation  for,  24. 

"Hoi  polloi,"  never  preceded 
by  the,  106. 

"Holder,''  compounds  with, 
5i. 

Holidays,  capitalization  of 
names  of,  26-27. 

"Holy,"  capitalization  of,  21. 

"Honorable,"  correct  use  of, 
106. 

Honorary  titles,  capitaliza- 
tion of,  25. 

"Hung,"  distinguished  from 
hanged,  106. 

Hyphenated  compounds:  cap- 
italization of,  29;  avoid 
division   of,    54. 

Hyphenization,  rules  for,  45- 

5i. 
Hyphens:  list  of  hyphenated 
words,  49;  rules  for  use  of, 
45-5i;  purpose  of,  19;  use 
of  hair-space  with,  59. 
See  Compounds. 

UI":   capitalization  of  word, 

29.      See  under  Me. 
Ibid.,  italicized,  64. 
-ible  and   -able.     See  -able, 
-ical,  in  divisions,   54. 
Idem,  italicized,  64. 


i.e.,  set  in  roman,  64. 

"If,"  correct  use  of,  106. 

Illustrations,  legends  beneath, 
omission  of  period,  12. 

"In,"   correct  use  of,   106. 

"In-"  (negative  prefix),  com- 
pounds with,  50. 

Indention:  rules  for,  55-56; 
prose,  each  paragraph  in- 
dented, 55;  numbered  par- 
agraphs, treatment  of,  55; 
of  poetry,  reverse  inden- 
tion, 55;  of  quotations,  55; 
different  forms  of,  viz.: 
En  echelon,  Hanging,  Half- 
diamond,  Lozenge,  Blocked, 
and  Irregular,  55-56;  use 
of  in  addressing  letters, 
116. 

Independent  sentences,  first 
word  capitalized  after  colon, 

Infinitive,  the,  never  sepa- 
rated from  to,  106. 

Informal  letter.     See  Letter. 

"Infra,"  compounds  with,  48; 
italicization  of,  64. 

-ing:  verbal  nouns  (ending 
in)  distinguished  from  par- 
ticiples, 106. 

Initials,  not  to  be  divided,  54. 

"Inside  of,"  distinguished 
from   within,    106. 

Inst.,  not  used,  65. 

Institutional  terms,  capitali- 
zation of,   26-28. 

"Inter,"  compounds  with,  50. 

International  money  orders, 
fees  for,  137. 

Interrogation-point:  origin  of , 
15;  use  of,  with  quotations, 
16;  after  direct  questions, 
16;  to  express  doubt,  16; 
omission   in   indirect  ques- 


INDEX 


173 


Interrogation  (Continued) 
tions,     16;      use    of     hair- 
space    preceding,    59. 

" Intra,"  compounds  with,  50. 

"Invent,"  distinguished  from 
discover,  106. 

Ironical  word  or  phrase,  use 
of  quotation  marks  for,  17. 

Irregular  indention,  described, 

55- 
-ise  and  -ize,  spelling  of  words 

terminating  in,  37-38. 
Italicizing:     of   abbreviations 
in  literary  and  legal  refer- 
ences, 64;  of  ad  loc,  64;   of 
algebraic    unknown    quan- 
tities, 64;    of  astronomical 
names,  64;  of  titles  of  books, 
62;    of  names  of  botanical 
genera  and  species,  64;  of 
names  in  citations  of  legal 
causes,   64;    of  circa   (ca.), 
64;    of  names  of  constella- 
tions, 64;  of  credits,  at  end 
of  article,  62;   for   purpose 
of  emphasis,  62;  of  names 
of  geological  subjects,  64;  of 
geometric   unknown   quan- 
tities,  64;    of  ibid.,  64;  of 
idem,    64;    of   infra,  64;   of 
loc.  cit.j  64;   of  literary  ref- 
erences,   64;     of   names   of 
scientific    genera    and  spe- 
cies,   64;   of    stars,    64;   of 
titles    of     newspapers    and 
periodicals,  64;    of  op.  cit., 
64;      of     passim,     64;      of 
poetry,     62;      in    prefaces, 
62;     of   word    "Resolved," 
64;    in  running  heads,   62; 
of   abbreviations  of    "shil- 
lings,"    "pence,"     64;     of 
names    of    ships,     62;      of 
side-heads,    62;     of    signa- 


tures, 62;  of  supra,  64; 
of  s. v.,  64;  of  vide,  64;  of 
zoological  genera,  64;  rules 
for,  62-64;  lists  of  foreign 
words,  italicized  and  not, 
62-64;  of  dates  in  letters, 
30. 
Italics:  origin  of,  62;  rules 
for,  62-64;  list  of  foreign 
words  and  phrases  not 
italicized,  63;  list  of  ital- 
icized words,  63;  how  to 
indicate  in  MS.,  64; 
italic  punctuation  marks, 
following,  64. 

J,  do  not  divide  on,  53. 

Journals.     See  Periodicals. 

Judiciary  bodies,  capitaliza- 
tion of  names  of,   28. 

Juridical  acts,  treaties,  etc., 
capitalization  of  names  of, 
27. 

Kerned    letters,    spacing    of, 

60. 
"Kind,"  correct  use  of,   106. 
"Kind  of,"  not  followed  by 

a  or  an,  106. 

"Lady."    See    under    Gentle- 
man. 
"Lady    friend."      See    under 

Gentleman  friend. 
Language,        must        convey 

writer's  meaning,  99. 
"Last,"     distinguished    from 

latest,  107. 
"Latter,"     correct     use     of, 

107. 
Laws,  capitalization  of  names 

of,  27. 
"Lay,"     distinguished     from 

lie,    107. 


174 


INDEX 


Legal  references,  words, 
phrases,  and  abbreviations 
italicized,  64. 

Legends,  omission  of  period 
after,  12. 

Legislative  bodies,  capitaliza- 
tion of  names  of,  28. 

"Less,"  distinguished  from 
fewer,  107. 

Letter,  Business:  heading, 
115;  address,  116;  saluta- 
tion, 116;  text  of,  118; 
complimentary  close,  121; 
signature,  122;  envelope, 
123;  correct  example  of ,  126. 

Letter,  Formal:  heading,  115; 
address,  116;  salutation, 
117-118;  text  of,  120; 
complimentary  close,  122; 
signature,  122;  envelope, 
123;  correct  examples  of, 
126-128. 

Letter,  Informal:  heading, 
115;  address,  116;  salu- 
tation, 117;  text  of,  120; 
complimentary  close,  121- 
122;  signature,  122;  en- 
velope, 123;  correct  ex- 
amples of,    126-128. 

Letter  writing:  introductory 
remarks  on,  114;  rules  for, 
1 1 5-1 25;  examples  of  cor- 
rect, 126-128;  the  signa- 
ture, 122-123;  envelope, 
123-124;  postal  cards,  125; 
in  general,  125;  business, 
formal,  informal,  treatment 
of,  115-122. 

Letters  (correspondence) : 

capitalization,  punctuation, 
etc.,  rules  for,  n,  12,  29; 
dates,  where  placed  and 
when  capitalized,  30;  postal 
regulations,  1 29-141. 


Letters:  use  of  dash  to  indi- 
cate omission  of,  13;  use  of 
apostrophe  to  indicate  omis- 
sion of,  19;  used  to  mark 
divisions  in  enumerations, 
to  be  set  in  parentheses,  18; 
spacing  of  superior  and 
inferior,  59. 

"Liable,"  distinguished  from 
likely,  107. 

"Life,"  compounds  with,  47. 

"Like,"  compounds  with,  49. 

"Likely,"  correct  use  of,  107. 

Linear  measure,  table  of,  150. 

Liquid  measure,  table  of,  150. 

Literary  references:  minor 
subdivisions,  not  capital- 
ized, 28. 

"Loan,"  not  used  as  a  verb, 
107. 

"Locate,"  distinguished  from 
settle,  107. 

hoc.  cit.,  italicized,  64. 

"Love,"  distinguished  from 
like,  107. 

Lozenge  indention,  described, 
56. 

"Luxuriant,"  distinguished 
from    luxurious,    107. 

"Mad,"  distinguished  from 
angry,  107. 

Magazines.     See   Periodicals. 

Mail  matter:  first  class,  de- 
fined, 129;  second  class, 
129;  third  class,  130;  fourth 
class,  131;  wrapping  of, 
132;  forwarding  of,  132; 
what  cannot  be  mailed,  132; 
concealed  matter,  133;  do- 
mestic rates,  134;  foreign 
rates,  134;  rates  for  Cuba, 
Mexico,  Canada,  and  Pan- 
ama,   135;    foreign  parcels 


INDEX 


175 


Mail  (Continued) 

post,  136;  money  orders, 
137;  international  money 
orders,  137;  registered,  do- 
mestic, and  foreign,  138; 
special  delivery,  139;  pos- 
tal distances  and  time  from 
New  York,  140. 

"Major,"  when  spelled  in 
full,  68. 

"Man,"  compounds  with,  49. 
See  under  Gentleman. 

Manuscript:  how  to  indicate 
capitals  in,  30;  italics  in, 
64. 

Manutius,  Aldus:  relation  to 
punctuation  of,  3;  designer 
of  italic  types,  62. 

Mariners'  measure,   table  of, 

151- 
"Master,"    compounds   with, 

47- 

Mathematical  signs,  list  of, 
91-92. 

"May."     See  under  Can. 

"Me,"  correct  use  of,   107. 

"Means,"  either  singular  or 
plural,  107. 

Measures:  tables  of,  and  gen- 
eral rules  for,  149-160; 
linear,  150;  square,  150; 
dry,  150;  liquid,  150; 
paper,  151;  time,  151;  cir- 
cular, 151;  cloth,  151; 
mariners',  151;  surveyors', 
151;  cubic,  152;  British, 
152;  ilectrical,  155;  build- 
ers', 157;  of  timber  and 
wood,  157;  grain,  157; 
hay,  158;  yard,  158;  of 
barrels,  159;  in  the  British 
Dependencies,  159;  in 
European  countries,  159- 
160. 


Medical:  signs,  list  of,  92; 
capitalization  of,  terms,  23. 

"Memoranda,"  plural  of 
memorandum,   109. 

Metric  system:  of  weights  and 
measures,  149;  of  equiva- 
lents,   152. 

Mexico,  postal  rates  to,  135. 

"Mid,"  compounds  with,  46. 

Military  bodies,  numbers  of, 
spelled  out,   32. 

Miscellaneous  measures,  table 
of,  151. 

Miscellaneous  terms,  abbre- 
viations of,  81-89. 

Monastic  orders,  capitaliza- 
tion   of,    20. 

Monetary  signs,  abbrevia- 
tions of,  90-91;  spacing  of, 
60. 

Money  order  fees,  137. 

"Monger,"  compounds  with, 

5i. 

Months  of  year:  capitaliza- 
tion of,  23;  numbers  pre- 
ceding spelled  out,  32; 
abbreviations  of,   65-66. 

"Most,"  avoid  using  for 
almost,  107. 

"Mother":  capitalization  of, 
24;    compounds  with,  47. 

"Must,"  correct  use  of,  107. 

"Mutual,"  distinguished  from 
common,  108. 

Names:  capitalization  of 
proper,  22-24;  of  publish- 
ers, in  literary  references, 
use  of  colon,  n;  of  socie- 
ties, expositions,  and  con- 
ventions, capitalization  of, 
25;  of  races,  tribes,  etc., 
capitalization  of,  27;  ab- 
breviation   of    proper,   66; 


176 


INDEX 


Names  (Continued) 

Christian,  66-68;  of  scien- 
tific genera  and  species, 
italicized,  64;  of  stars, 
italicized,   64. 

"Negligence,"  distinguished 
from  neglect,  108. 

"Neither,"  correct  use  of,  108. 

"News,"    is   singular,    108. 

Newspapers:  titles  of,  article 
not  treated  as  part  of,  30; 
titles  of,  italicized,  62; 
postal  rates  and  regulations 
for,  129. 

New  Testament,  list  of  abbre- 
viations for,  90. 

"Nice,"   correct  use  of,    108. 

Nobility,  capitalization  of 
titles    of,    25. 

"No  place,"  written  nowhere, 
108. 

"Non-,"  compounds  with,  50. 

"Nor."     See  under  Or. 

"Not  .  .  .  but,"  double  neg- 
ative, 108. 

Notes,  use  of  brackets  in 
enclosing,  18. 

"Notorious,"  correct  use  of, 
108. 

Nouns:  capitalization  of  geo- 
graphical, simple  and  com- 
pounded, 22;  capitaliza- 
tion of,  followed  by  capi- 
talized roman  numeral,  28; 
hyphenization  of,  standing 
in  objective  relation  to 
each  other,  46-47;  forma- 
tion of  possessive  case  of 
common  and  proper,  18-19; 
plural  of  polysyllabic 
proper  ending  in  sibilant, 
how  formed,  19;  verbal, 
ending  in  -ing,  distinguished 
from  participles,  106. 


"Nowhere  near,"  vulgarism 
for  not  nearly,  108. 

Number:  pronouns  must 
agree  with  their  antece- 
dents, 108;  of  nouns  and 
verbs  must  agree,  108. 

Numbers:  use  of  comma  with, 
7;  when  to  spell  out,  31-33; 
use  of  apostrophe  to  in- 
dicate omission  of,  19; 
percentage,  figures  always 
used,  31;  in  statistics,  fig- 
ures used,  32;  in  ordinary 
matter,  of  less  than  three 
digits,  to  be  spelled  out, 
32;  in  groups,  varying  in 
digits  use  figures,  32; 
round,  treatment  of,  32; 
commencing  a  sentence, 
spelled  out,  32;  expressed 
in  figures,  not  to  be  divided, 

54- 
Numerals:  use  of  period,  fol- 
lowing roman,  12;  of  apos- 
trophe in  forming  plural, 
19;  roman,  origin  and 
early  use  of,  93-96;  list  of 
roman  and  arabic,  96-97; 
rules  for  use  of  roman,  98. 

"O, "  capitalization  of  word, 
29. 

03,  rules  for  use  of  33. 

"Of":  correct  use  of,  108; 
use  of  comma  before,  in 
connection  with  proper 
name,  7. 

Ohm.  See  Electrical  meas- 
ures. 

Op.  cit.,  italicized,  64. 

"Open  punctuation,"  favored 
by  best  usage,  3-4;  and 
"close  punctuation,"     3-4. 

"Or,"  correct  use  of,   108. 


INDEX 


177 


Orders,  monastic,  capitaliza- 
tion of,   20. 

Ordinals,  capitalization  of, 
29. 

Orthography:  rules  of,  33- 
36;  final  /,  /,  or  s,  33;  final 
consonant  following  diph- 
thong, 33;  added  termina- 
tions after  final  accented 
syllable,  33-34;  after  diph- 
thong or  two  vowels,  34; 
after  final  syllable  ending 
in  two  consonants,  34;  after 
final  silent  e,  34-35;  after 
ce  or  ge,  35;  after  final  e 
in  participles,  35;  after  final 
ie,  35;  after  final  y,  35-36; 
of  French  endings  in  -re,  36; 
of  possessives  of  proper 
nouns,  36;  of  -sioh  and  -Hon, 
36;  of  -or  and  -our,  34. 

"  Ought,"  never  combined 
with  had,  109 

-our,    words    ending    in,    34. 

"Out  loud,"  never  used  for 
aloud,  109. 

"  Over  "  compounds  with,  50. 

Panama,  postal  rates  to,  135. 

Paper  measure,   table  of,  151. 

Parables,  biblical,  capitaliza- 
tion of  titles,  20. 

Paragraphs,  explanation  of, 
57;  rules  for,  55-58;  unity, 
57;  emphasis,  57,  58; 
length,  57;  coherence,  57; 
connective  words  between 
related  sentences,  58;  space 
used  proportional  to  im- 
portance, 58;  length,  58; 
indention  of,  55,  57,  58,  60. 

Parcel  post,  domestic,  131, 
162;  foreign,  136. 

"  Parent,"  compounds  of,    47. 


Parentheses:  substitution  of 
dashes  for,  14;  use  of,  with 
interrogation-point,  16;  pla- 
cing of  period  with,  11; 
defined,  18;  use  of,  in  fig- 
ures or  letters  to  mark 
divisions  in  enumerations, 
18;  subdivided  by  brack- 
ets, 18. 

Parenthetical  clauses.  See 
Clauses. 

Parks,  capitalization  of  names 
of,  23. 

"Partake  of,"  never  used  for 
eat,  109. 

Participles:  list  of,  how 
spelled,  37;  not  to  be 
hyphenated  with  adverbs 
ending  in  "-ly,"  46;  ending 
in  -ing,  distinguished  from 
verbal  nouns,    106. 

Particles,  in  French,  German, 
Italian,  and  Dutch,  capi- 
talization of,   25-26. 

Parties,  political,  capitaliza- 
tion of  names  of,   27. 

"Party,"  never  used  for 
Person,  109. 

Passim,  italicized,  64. 

Pence.     See  Shillings. 

Peoples,  capitalization  of 
names  or  epithets  of,  27. 

"Per,"  correct  use  of,  109. 

Percentage,  use  of  figures  in, 

31. 

"Perception,"  correct  use  of, 
109. 

Periodicals:  titles  of,  definite 
article  not  to  be  treated 
as  part  of,  30;  use  of  italics 
for,  62;  postal  rates,  etc., 
129. 

Periods:  placing  of,  in  con- 
nection     with      quotation- 


i  y8 


INDEX 


Periods  {Continued) 

marks,  n;  rules  for  use  of, 
n-12;  omitted  after  run- 
ning-heads, 12;  after  box- 
heads  in  tables,  12;  after 
cut-in  side  notes,  12;  after 
centered  head-lines,  12; 
after  legends,  12;  after  sub- 
heads, 12;  after  date-lines, 
12;  after  signatures,  12; 
after  titles,  blocked  head- 
ings, etc.,  12;  after  roman 
numerals,  12;  use  of,  after 
abbreviations,  12;  after  a 
complete  sentence,  12;  to 
indicate  an  ellipsis,   12. 

Personifications:  abstract 

ideas,  capitalization  of,  23. 

Phrases:  inverted,  use  of 
comma,  5;  in  apposition, 
use  of  comma,  6;  salutatory, 
use  of  comma,  7;  foreign, 
italicization  of,  62-63. 

"Pilgrim  Fathers,"  capitali- 
zation of,  22. 

Plays,  rule  for  references  to, 
66. 

Plurals,  of  foreign  words: 
cherub,  memorandum,  da- 
tum, donna,  stratum,  ad- 
dendum, and  rubai,   109. 

p.m.  (post  meridiem) :  set  in 
small  capitals,  30;  spacing 
of,  59- 

Poetry:  rules  for  quotation 
alignment,  in  setting,  17; 
titles  of  poems,  to  be 
quoted,  17;  omission  of 
apostrophe  in  poems  when 
word  is  contracted  for  me- 
ter, 19;  capitalization  of 
first  word  of  each  line,  29; 
indention  of,  55;  italicizing 
of,  62. 


Points  of  compass:  capitaliza- 
tion of,  22,  23,  24;  hyphen- 
ization,  49. 

Political  alliances,  parties, 
divisions,  capitalization  of 
names  of,  27,  28. 

Political  divisions,  capitaliza- 
tion of,   28. 

Possessive  case,  how  desig- 
nated, 19. 

Possessives  of  proper  nouns 
ending   in  s,   how  formed, 

„  36' 

"Post,"  compounds  with,  50. 

Postal  cards,  use  of,  125. 

Postal  regulations,  1 29-141. 

Pounds  (£),  no  space  between 
symbol  and  preceding  fig- 
ures, 60. 

"Pre-,"  compounds  with,  47- 
48. 

Preface,  use  of  italic  in,  62. 

Prefixes,  "co-,"  "pre-,"  and 
"re-,"  hyphenization  of, 
47-48. 

Prepositions,  capitalization  of, 
in  titles  of  books  and  essays, 
26. 

' '  President, ' '  capitalization 
of,  25;  when  spelled  in 
full,    68. 

"Pretty,"  correct  use  of,  109. 

"Professor,"  when  spelled  in 
full,  68. 

Pronouns:  used  with  noun 
for  emphasis,  comma  omit- 
ted, 8;  referring  to  Deity, 
capitalization  of,  21. 

Pronunciation,  correct,  in- 
fluence of,  in  division  of 
words,  52-54- 

Proper  names:  capitalization, 
of,  22-24;  abbreviation  of, 
66;  derivatives  from,  famil- 


INDEX 


179 


Proper  names  {Continued) 
iarly  used,  not  capitalized, 
24. 

Proper  nouns:  formation  of 
possessive,  36. 

"Propose,"  distinguished  from 
purpose,   109. 

Prox.,  not  used,  65. 

Psalms:  capitalization  of  ti- 
tles of,  21;  capitalization 
of,  22. 

"Pseudo,"    compounds   with, 

51- 

Publications:  use  of  colon  in 
titles  of  literary  referen- 
ces, 11;  use  of  italics  for, 
62. 

Publishers:  use  of  colon  sep- 
arating city  of  publication 
and  name  of,  in  literary 
references,  11. 

Punctuation:  origin  and  pur- 
pose of,  3;  rules  for,  3-19; 
of  headings  of  letters,  115; 
"open"   and  "close,"  3-4. 

Punctuation  marks:  list  of,  2; 
after  italics  to  be  italic, 
64. 

Q,  inseparable  from  u,  53. 
"Quarter,"    compounds  with 

47- 

"Quasi,"  compounds  with, 
„48. 

Queries,  when  bracketed,  18. 

Question-mark.  See  Interro- 
gation-point. 

"Quite,"  correct  use  of,  109. 

Quotation-marks:  use  of,  16- 
17;  double  and  single,  16- 
17;  in  poetry,  16;  in 
ellipses,  17;  repetition  in 
paragraph  beginnings,  17; 
in  titles  of   poems,   books, 


etc.,  17;  serial  titles,  17; 
names  of  ships,  17;  titles 
of  works  of  art,  17;  words 
and  phrases  accompanied 
by  definitions  and  specially 
emphasized,  or  intended  to 
possess  unusual,  technical, 
or  ironical  meanings,  17; 
use  of  colon  with,  10;  sub- 
stitution of  dash  for,  14; 
use  of  comma  with,  7;  use 
of  colon  and  dash  before, 
14;  use  of  exclamation- 
point  with,  15;  capitaliza- 
tion of  first  word  in,  29; 
following  colon,  30;  use  of 
hair-space  inside,  59. 
Quotations:  indention  of, 
55- 

Races,  capitalization  of  names 
of,  27. 

"Railroad,"  to  be  spelled  out, 
66. 

"Raise,"  never  used  as  noun, 
109. 

"Rarely  ever,"  vulgarism  for 
rarely,  109. 

Rates,  postal,  129-132. 

"Re-,"  compounds  with,  47- 
48. 

-re,  French  ending  not  used, 
36. 

Reaumur.  See  Thermom- 
eters. 

"Reference,"  used  with  with 
not  in,  109. 

References,  capitalization  of, 
nouns,  28;  literary  refer- 
ences, 28;  use  of  colon  in 
scriptural,  11;  italics  used 
in  words,  phrases,  and 
abbreviations  of  literary 
and    legal,    64. 


i8o 


INDEX 


"Regard."  See  under  Refer- 
ence. 

Regiments,  capitalization  of 
names  of,   29. 

Regions,  or  parts  of  the  world, 
proper  capitalization  of, 
22-23. 

Registered  mail,  domestic  and 
foreign,  regulations  for,  138. 

"  Relative,"  use  of  the  word,oo. 

Relative  clauses,  use  of  com- 
ma with,  6. 

Religious  terms,  capitaliza- 
tion of,  20-22,  26. 

Residence,  use  of  comma  be- 
fore "of"  in  connection 
with,    7. 

Resolutions:  word  "Re- 
solved" in,  italicized,  64; 
word  "Whereas,"  26. 

"Resolved,"  in  resolutions, 
word  following,  to  be  capi- 
talized, 26;  italicization  of, 
64. 

Respect,  capitalization  of  ti- 
tles of,  25. 

"Respect."  See  under  Refer- 
ence. 

"Reverend,"  always  preceded 
by  the,  no. 

Reverse  indention,  55. 

"Revolutionary,"  capitaliza- 
tion of,  22. 

Roman:  used  in  medical 
terms,  64;  in  certain  words 
and  phrases,  literary  and 
legal,    64. 

Roman  numerals:  use  of 
period  after,  12.  See  Nu- 
merals. 

"Rubaiyat,"  plural  of  rubai, 
109. 

Running-heads,  period  not 
used   following,    12. 


Salutatory  phrase:  of  letters, 
business,  formal  and  in- 
formal, 116-118;  use  of 
comma,  7.     See  Phrase. 

"Same,"  not  used  as  pro- 
noun, no. 

"Same  as,"  distinguished 
from   just    as,    no. 

Sarcasm,  indicated  by  use  of 
exclamation-point,  15. 

"Scarcely."  See  under 
Hardly. 

"School,"  compounds  with,  51. 

Scientific  terms,  capitaliza- 
tion of,  23;  italicizing  of,  64. 

Scriptural  terms,  abbrevia- 
tions of,  90. 

Scripture,  punctuation  of: 
comma,  9;  colon,  11;  dash, 
13;  spacing  of,  references, 
60. 

Seasons,  capitalization  of,  23. 

"Seldom  ever."  See  under 
Rarely  ever. 

"Self,"  compounds  with,  47. 

"Semi,"  compounds  with, 
48,  50. 

Semicolon:  defined,  8,  9; 
compared  with  comma,  9; 
placing  of,  in  connection 
with  quotation-marks,  9; 
rules  for  use  of,  9;  dividing 
compound  sentences,  9; 
separating  passages  in 
Scripture  references  con- 
taining chapters,  9;  use  of 
hair-space   preceding,    59. 

"Sensible  of,"  distinguished 
from  sensitive  to,   no. 

Sentences:  first  word  of,  cap- 
italized, 29;  first  word 
after  colon  capitalized  in 
independent,  29;  connec- 
tion of,  in  paragraph,   58. 


INDEX 


181 


Serial  titles,  to  be  quoted,  17. 
"  Set,"  distinguished  from  sit, 

no. 
"  Sewage,"  correct  use  of,  no. 
" Shall,"  correct  use  of,   no. 
"She."    See  under  Her. 
Shillings    and    pence,    abbre- 
viations, s.  and  d.,  italics, 

64. 
Ships:    names  of,  quoted,  17; 

names     of,    italicized,     62; 

time  and  watch  on  board, 

161. 
"Should,"  correct  use  of,  in. 
"Show,"  correct  use  of,  111. 
"Show    up,"    vulgarism    for 

expose,  in. 
Side-heads:    capitalization  of, 

29;   italicizing  of,  62. 
Signatures,  omission  of  period 

after,     12;      italicizing    of, 

62;  general  rules  for,  122. 
"Since,"  correct  use  of,  hi. 
-sion    and  -Hon,    spelling    of 

words  terminating  in,   39- 

40. 
"Sister,"     compounds     with, 

47- 

"Size  up,"  vulgarism  for  esti- 
mate, in. 

Small  capitals:  how  indi- 
cated in  MS.,  30;  rules  for, 
30. 

"So,"  correct  use  of,  in. 

Social  organizations,  capital- 
ization of,   25. 

Solar  system,  capitalization 
of  popular  names  of,  23. 

"Some,"  correct  use  of, 
in. 

"Some  one,"  not  a  compound 
word,  51 

"Some  place,"  written  some- 
where, in. 


"Sort."     See  under  Kind. 

"Sort  of,"  correct  use  of,  in. 

Sovereigns,  abbreviation  of 
names  of,  69. 

Spaces,  examples  of,  61. 

Spacing:  rules  for,  59-61; 
uniformity  of,  59;  hair- 
spaces  in  connection  with 
punctuation  marks,  59;  of 
abbreviated  titles,  25,  59- 
60;  of  Scripture  references, 
60;  of  a.m.,  p.m.,  etc.,  59; 
symbols  and  figures,  60;  at 
end  of  paragraph,  60;  in 
regard  to  turn-overs,  60; 
kerned  letters,  /  and  j  re- 
quire hair-spaces,  60;  wide 
spacing,  60;  examples, 
dashes  and  spaces,  60-61; 
of  abbreviations  of  rail- 
roads,  66. 

Special  delivery,  mail  system, 

139. 

Species,  scientific  names  of: 
use  of  capitals,  23;  italiciz- 
ing of,  64. 

Spelling:  rules  for,  31-34; 
difficulties  and  choice  of 
usages,  31;  of  decades, 
ages,  centuries,  dynasties, 
32;  of  numbers  of  military 
bodies,  streets,  sessions  of 
Congress,  32;  of  numbers, 
31-32;  of  time  of  day,  32- 
33;  use  of  diphthongs,  33; 
rules  of  orthography,  33- 
36,  see  Orthography;  lists  of 
words,  —  accented  words, 
37;  participles,  37;  vari- 
able endings,  -ize,  37-38; 
ending  in  -ise,  38;  ending  in 
-ible  and  -able,  39;  ending 
in  -sion  and  -Hon,  39-40; 
pronounced  alike,  but  vary- 


1 82 


INDEX 


Spelling  (Continued) 

ing  in  meaning    according 
to  spelling,  40-44. 

"Splendid,"  correct  use  of, 
in. 

Square  measure,  table  of,  150. 

Squares,  capitalization  of 
names    of,    23. 

Standard  time:  meaning  and 
explanation  of,  142-144; 
table    of,     144. 

Stars,  names  of,  italicized,  64. 

"  Start,"  distinguished  from 
begin,  in. 

"State,"  capitalization  of, 
24-25. 

States:  spacing  of  abbrevia- 
tions of,  60-61;  list  of 
abbreviations   of,    77-81. 

Statistics,  treatment  of  num- 
bers in,   32. 

"Stop,"  distinguished  from 
stay,  in. 

"Strata,"  plural  of  stratum, 
109. 

Streets:  capitalization  of 
names  of,  23;  numbers  of, 
spelled  out,  32. 

"Sub,"  compounds  with,  50. 

Subdivisions:  in  literary  ref- 
erences, not  capitalized,  28. 

Subheads,  omission  of  period 
after,  12;   italicizing  of,  62. 

Subject-matter:  separation  of, 
by  dash,  from  its  author- 
ity, 13. 

"Sulpho,"    compounds    with, 

Si- 
"Super,"  compounds  with, 50. 
"Supra,"     compounds     with, 

48;    italicized,  64. 
Surveyors'  measure,  table  of, 

151. 
s.v.,  italicized,  64. 


Symbols:  monetary,  90-91; 
mathematical,  91-92;  med- 
ical, 93;  spacing  of  mone- 
tary, 60. 

Tables:  box-heads  in,  omis- 
sion of  period,  12. 

"Take,"  correct  use  of,  in. 

"Take  stock  in,"  slang  ex- 
pression, 112. 

Technical:  use  of  figures  in, 
matter,  32;  words  or 
phrases,  use  of  quotation- 
marks  for,  17. 

Tense,  common  errors  of ,  112. 

Text  of  letters:  business, 
formal,  and  informal,  118- 
120. 

"That."   See  under  Which. 

"The,"  not  part  of  title  of 
magazines   and   papers,  30. 

"Them,"  distinguished  from 
they,  112. 

"Thermo,"  compounds  with, 

5i- 

Thermometers,  comparative 
table:  Reaumur,  Centi- 
grade, Fahrenheit,  148. 

"They."      See  under  Them. 

"This,"  not  used  as  adverb, 
112. 

Thoroughfares:  capitalization 
of  names  of,  23;  numbers 
of,  spelled  out,  32. 

"Through,"  distinguished 
from  finished,    112. 

Timber  and  wood,  measures 

of,  157. 
Time:  use  of  colon  between 
hours  and  minutes,  11; 
of  day,  when  spelled  out, 
32;  standard,  explanation 
of,  142-144;  on  board 
ship,    161. 


INDEX 


183 


Time  measure,  table  of,  151. 

-Hon  and  -sion.     See  -sion. 

Title-pages,  capitalization  of 
certain   words,    30. 

Titles:  capitalization  of,  24- 
26;  of  poems,  series,  and 
works  of  art,  to  be  quoted, 
17;  of  parables  (biblical), 
capitalization  of,  20;  of 
psalms,  capitalization  of, 
20;  use  of  colon  in  literary 
references,  10-11;  capital- 
ization of  compounded,  22; 
use  of  comma  separating, 
from  names,  6;  of  honor, 
nobility,  and  respect,  capi- 
talization of,  25;  civil  and 
military,  capitalization  of, 
25;  foreign,  capitalization 
of,  25-26;  of  books  or 
essays,  capitalization  of, 
26;  of  treaties,  laws,  and 
acts,  capitalization  of,  27; 
definite  article  not  treated 
as  part  of,  in  newspapers 
or  magazines,  30;  "ex," 
"vice,"  "general,"  "elect," 
etc.,  use  of  hyphen  in  con- 
necting, 47;  italicizing  of 
books,  newspapers,  and 
periodicals,  62;  abbrevia- 
tions of,  with  lists,  68-75; 
capitalize  when  used  alone 
68-69;  of  sovereigns,  69. 

"To,"  compounds  with,  50. 

"Too,"  correct  use  of,  112. 

"Treat,"  followed  by  of, 
112. 

Treaties,  capitalization  of 
names    of,     27. 

"Tree,"  compounds  with,  49. 

"Tri-,"   compounds  with,  50. 

Tribes,  capitalization  of 
names  of,   27. 


Troy  ounce,  uses  of  the,  154- 

155- 
Troy  weight,  table  of,  150. 
"Try,"  followed  by  to,  112. 
Two-letter     syllables,     avoid 

division    of,    53. 

"Ugly,"  correct  use  of,   112. 

Ult.,  not  used,  65. 

"Ultra,"  compounds  with, 
48. 

"Un-  "  (negative  prefix),  com- 
pounds with,  50. 

"Under,"  compounds  with, 
So. 

"United  States,"  when  abbre- 
viated, 66. 

Units  of  measure,  not  capi- 
talized,  29-30. 

Unity  of  paragraphs,   57. 

1 '  University, ' '  capitalization 
of,   27. 

Unknown  quantities:  alge- 
braic, geometric,  etc.,  ital- 
icized, 64. 

v.  {versus),  set  in  roman,  64. 

"Van,"  capitalization  of,  25- 
26. 

Verbal  nouns,  ending  in  -ing, 
distinguished  from  parti- 
ciples,   106. 

Verbs,  not  to  be  omitted 
from    sentence,    112. 

Versions  of  Bible,  capitaliza- 
tion of,  20. 

"Very,"  correct  use  of,   112. 

"Vice,"  compounds  with,  46. 

Vide,   italicized,   64. 

"Visitor,"  distinguished  from 
visitant,  113. 

"viz.,"  set  in  roman,  64. 

"Vocation,"  distinguished 
from   avocation,    113. 


1 84 


INDEX 


Vocative  words,  comma  sep- 
arating, 7;  "O"  as  distin- 
guished from  exclamatory 
"oh,"  15. 

Volt.    See  Electrical  measures. 

"Von,"  capitalization  of,  25- 
26. 

Vowels,  rules  for  division  of 
words  based  upon,  52-53. 

"Want,"  correct  use  of,  113. 

Watch  on  board  ship,  the, 
161. 

Watt.  See  Electrical  meas- 
ures. 

"Way,"  not  to  be  used  for 
away,   113. 

Week,  days  of:  capitaliza- 
tion of,  23;  abbreviation  of, 
65-66. 

Weights:  metric  system,  table 
149;  apothecaries',  150; 
avoirdupois,  150;  British, 
153;  the  Troy  ounce,  155; 
Indian,  159;  foreign,  160; 
and  measures,  tables  and 
rules  for,   149-160. 

"What,"  distinguished  from 
that,  113. 

"Whereas,"  in  resolutions, 
use  of  capital,  26. 

"Which,"  correct  use  of,  113. 

"Who,"  correct  use  of,   113. 

"Will."    See  under  Shall. 


"Woman,"  compounds  with, 
49;  correct  use  of.  See 
Gentleman. 

"Womanly,"  distinguished 
from    womanish,    113. 

Words:  accompanied  by  defi- 
nition, to  be  quoted,  17; 
of  unusual,  technical,  or 
ironical  meanings,  to  be 
quoted,  17;  specially  de- 
sired to  attract  attention, 
to  be  quoted,  17;  contrac- 
tion of,  omission  indicated 
by  apostrophe,  19;  derived 
from  proper  names,  capital- 
ization of,  24;  with  special 
meaning,  capitalization  of, 
29;  accented,  37;  pro- 
nounced alike,  but  varying 
in  meaning,  according  to 
spelling,  list  of  40-44;  for- 
eign, italicizing  of,  62-63. 

"World,"  compounds  with, 47. 

"Would."     See  under  Should. 

Wrapping,  of  mail  matter,  132. 

X,  do  not  divide  on,  53. 

Yard  measures,  table  of,  158. 
Years,     numbers     preceding, 
spelled   out,    32. 

Zoological  terms:  capitaliza- 
tion of,  23;  italicizing  of, 
64. 


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